I’m feeling nostalgic. Today is our three year anniversary at Electriphi, a company I co-founded with Sanjay and that I now watch become a key part of an iconic American innovator - Ford Motor Company - and it’s new Ford Pro commercial business entity. With about half of that three years spent in the shadow of pandemic-fueled economic uncertainty, I’m at times just thankful that we survived, and somewhat in awe of where we are headed.
From oil to electrons. The origin story.
We started Electriphi to be part of what is arguably the biggest transformation in human history, the evolution from fossil fuels to clean energy, with transportation being at the center of this transition. More specifically, as commercial fleets started down the transition path, we saw them encounter significant challenges related to energy and operational management, and it was clear at that time that they needed a one-stop shop to help them plan, deploy and operate EV fleets at scale.
I’m humbled by the team that joined us on our journey and proud of the work we’ve done to achieve that goal. The work we did caught the eye of Ford, and it was very clear from our first conversations that we shared the same vision for our mutual customers. What made it even more compelling was that Ford was on a mission to return to its innovative roots in the face of the next great tectonic shift in transportation
Startup from the ground up
All companies claim they’re on an innovative mission after every acquisition, so what’s new here? Ford is perhaps the iconic American entrepreneurial story, given how Henry Ford revolutionized transportation. This is the stuff of industrial and technology legend. This 118 year old icon of American industry is now transforming to integrate start-up ideas and dexterity. How does that work?
Perfectly.
It starts with why Ford chose Electriphi to be an integral part of Ford Pro Charging, and it all came down to three reasons:
- The best technology
- A track record of execution
- The team and our culture
Yes, you read that right. Our culture.
When you hear someone say “Ford,” your first thought may not be startup dexterity. But, Ford is on a mission to take a fresh approach to their whole way of doing business. Not just to stay relevant, but to lead the next hundred years of mobility by doing exactly what Henry Ford did over a hundred years ago: innovating.
There’s no doubt that technology is the foundation of this relationship, and in acquiring Electriphi, Ford is also investing in our connection to the EV ecosystem, our grasp of the value chain disruption going on, and even our sometimes opinionated, “down in the weeds,” approach to our work. A little startup from the ground up, if you will.
So what's next?
You may ask: what’s next for me? It’s Ford Pro Charging. And solving hard problems on behalf of our customers so that they can focus on what matters to them the most—running their business.
Going back to that recognition of Ford as a model of perhaps one of the most successful business ventures in the history of capitalism, as entrepreneurs we’ve all benefited from the ideals and execution of Henry Ford.
As much as we’re now a part of an 118 year history, we’re just getting started!
