eTech49 podcast with CTO Robert Nash
Our CTO Robert Nash was recently interviewed by electrification expert Ryan Maughan for the eTech49 podcast.
Listen as they have an in-depth engineer-to-engineer discussion on Petalite’s ground-breaking technology, Rob’s motivation for joining the business and his vision for the future.
Some selected highlights are included below.
Ryan begins with his perspective on Petalite:
I was absolutely fascinated that they (Petalite) seem to have something genuinely new and revolutionary in the field of electric vehicle charging.
Ryan Maughan • CEO, eTech49
Robert has 20+ years experience in leadership roles and he brings his expertise gained from sectors such as Formula One and automotive to Petalite. Commenting on what was interesting and enjoyable about working in Formula One:
The expectation, the pushing the boundaries and the hard discussions and engineering challenges that you have to overcome.
After achieving industry firsts in Formula One and introducing a system in Formula E that won 3 consecutive seasons he comments:
We basically set the precedent on what the modern day electric vehicle inverter should be based on. I did a couple of other projects like that - the first urban electric vehicle delivery truck with a swappable battery… We then did the first parallel hybrid truck for GM that was launched in the US.
Robert comments on what motivated him to join Petalite:
I needed to get back to innovation. I needed to get back to designing something that actually moves us forward. The technology was a really good idea. I knew I could take this company from a research focus into a product that can be sold.
He says Petalite also provided:
An opportunity to educate, mentor and coach high performance engineers that are not frightened to take on the big challenges that we’ll face.
Robert's outlook on joining the business:
Joining Petalite was like winning the lottery. There's a new technology with a new idea and loads of challenges. So I took the challenge - to build and develop an engineering team, to put in all the processes to allow us to engineer in a very flexible, agile way as well as delivering the product.
Petalite began as a spin out from Aston University, where a group of engineers were looking into the question of what was preventing charging. Robert describes it as:
Combined with a great idea, it was right time, right place for the technology.
New technology off the back of the EV market was becoming available:
With this technology, we can simplify the whole process - make it simpler with less stages. And because of this method they chose, it had inherent advantages.
Robert outlines how Petalite’s SDC technology works, it’s advantage and benefits. It is technology specifically engineered for the purpose whereas:
Most of the original phase of EV chargers took an answer to a different question and adapted to the problem they wanted to solve.
The other potential applications of SDC are also covered during the conversation and how EV chargers should be considered as critical energy infrastructure. How the Petalite approach aims to increase utilization across more charging points and minimize infrastructure costs for charge point operators. But it’s also about thinking ahead:
Our system is futureproof for the problems of tomorrow and it's all upgradeable.
On working with major suppliers:
They believe in what we're doing. They understand the potential of this technology. To get that from multi-billion pound companies working with a scale up. It's a sign of confidence. And that comes down to the pedigree of the engineers.
Robert highlights how a number of engineers with 25+ years experience from different industries with track records have all chosen to work at Petalite.
Fundamentally. It's the right technology at the right time, with the right engineers to implement.
Robert describes what drives him in the work he does:
My focus is how do I leave the world in a better place than I found?
Everybody here is of the same mindset - we want to innovate a better future. And it's engineers that create the future. Make it happen.
When ask about what he’s excited about in the next two years. He says number one:
The engineers getting the buzz when they see that they changed the world, that their ideas through hard work have been realised and adds value.
And number two:
To see how excited other people are for what comes after SDC - because we have plans.
Listen to the full podcast
Listen to learn more about our business, difference in approach and vision for our innovative technology.