By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer,
Report for America Corps Member,
msayles@afro.com
While studying economics and data science information management at Syracuse University, Joshua Aviv’s environmental economic professor came into class one day and told his students if they wanted to change the world, they’d have to solve the problem of infrastructure for electric vehicles.
He then told the students that if they were interested in discussing the issue further, they should meet with him after class.
Aviv was the only student who took the professor up on his offer, and now, he’s the founder and CEO of SparkCharge, the world’s only mobile, ultra-fast and on-demand electric vehicle charging network.
“We believe that range should be able to come to you without you having to worry about how, when and where you charge your car,” said Aviv. “That means that we believe that every electric vehicle owner regardless of income, zip code, background and vehicle should have access to electric vehicle charging.”
According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, electrical vehicles have the capacity to transform the transportation sector in the U.S. by significantly reducing carbon emissions and contributing to climate progress. But, barriers remain in the widespread adoption of these vehicles.
Many electrical vehicle owners have the ability to charge their cars at home in their garages, but those who live in urban areas in apartments and rowhouses don’t have this option.
SparkCharge’s core products, the Roadie and Currently app, are tackling this barrier.
The Roadie is a portable, DC fast charger that can travel to electric vehicle owners and charge their car. It’s completely free of local electricity grids, and users do not have to do any construction to use it.
According to Aviv, the Roadie works similar to a portable power bank that people use to charge their phones.
The Currently app, created in 2021, allows electric vehicle owners to select how much range they require and where and when they want it delivered. SparkCharge then brings the energy to the vehicle and charges it on the spot.
Aviv originally launched the company in Los Angeles and San Francisco but has since expanded to 14 more cities, including Dallas and San Jose. The Currently App set out to deliver a couple thousands miles by the end of 2022, but it’s now on track to deliver over a million miles.
SparkCharge particularly puts emphasis on serving low- to moderate- income communities who Aviv said are often kept out of the fold with innovative technology. The company also takes care to hire from underrepresented communities who may not have access to green jobs and development.
On Sept. 15, the company will host its annual Spark Day to announce all of the advancements being made and unveil its new technology to customers and investors. Over the next couple of months, SparkCharge intends to expand its products to nearly 20 new cities.
“We’re extremely mission-built and purpose-driven here at SparkCharge and Currently because we know that essentially, the more access we open up to electric vehicle adoption, the better our planet can be,” said Aviv. “We firmly believe that as we succeed, as we grow, as we scale, it’s only going to make our environment and our planet better, so we believe in growing and scaling as fast as we can.”
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