Tech Tuesday: Enhancing wide scale feasibility for electric transport

Tech Tuesday is an on-going series profiling the Forum’s Technology Pioneers. The Tech Pioneers are companies that have been recognized by the Forum for ground-breaking and innovative approaches in tackling some of the world’s most wicked problems. Each week we will be showcasing one of the 2013 Tech Pioneers. You can learn more about the Technology Pioneer Programme on the Forum’s website.

 

Coulomb Technologies: Enhancing wide scale feasibility for electric transport

There are many ways to charge a battery. Coulomb Technologies is interested in the incentive end of the equation and hopes to provide enough incentives for businesses to make charging stations widely available. Coulomb’s Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Richard Lowenthal first became interested in electric vehicles when he was mayor of Cupertino and received an electric Toyota Rav 4 as part of a California state policy aimed at subsidizing alternative fuels for official use. The state legislature eventually reversed itself, and Lowenthal lost his electric car, but the idea stuck. Convinced that if electric cars are to make it, their future has to be based on market realities not policies imposed by fickle legislatures, Lowenthal decided to focus on creating a profit-incentive that would be attractive enough to get independent businesses passionately involved in contributing to a comprehensive network of recharging stations. The long range goal: save California’s environment by making electric cars a reality, something that is not likely to happen until drivers can feel confident that they will be able to recharge their car’s batteries away from home. Coulomb’s charging stations are designed to be used in housing complexes, car parks and by corporations that see the service as a perk for staff employees who can virtually eliminate commuting costs by charging their cars at the office. Lowenthal says that when he drives his Chevy Volt to San Francisco, he uses an app on his iPhone to see which garage offers charging. The cost is likely to be only US$ 2, while parking fees can be as high as US$ 30 or more. For car parks, the charge stations can be a powerful incentive to attract more business. Lowenthal says that three out of four Coulomb Technologies engineers are experts at business software. Their ultimate objective: create a sustainable business model that could save the planet.

 

Richard Lowenthal, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
Location: CA, USA
Number of Employees: 120
Year Founded: 2006

Coulomb Technologies Inc.
1692 Dell Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008
USA

+1 887 370 3802
info@coulombtech.com
www.coulombtech.com