#362: It’s Electric w/Founder Tiya Gordon

NIMBY stands for “Not In My Back Yard,” a common term for residents who oppose projects in their local area even if they support the idea in general. In transportation and energy, it often comes up with new infrastructure like charging stations, transit changes, or pilot programs.

This is a book title associated with Elon Musk, whose public influence has been closely tied to EV adoption and the broader push for electrification. While it’s not a car brand itself, it’s a recognizable reference point for listeners following EV culture.

Tesla Motors is the company behind Tesla’s electric vehicles and energy products. The mention connects the episode’s discussion to Tesla’s role in popularizing EVs and shaping public conversations around electric mobility.

The Chrysler New Yorker is a nameplate from Chrysler that has historically been associated with a comfortable, full-size, more upscale approach to American motoring. It’s often brought up in conversations about classic cars and automotive history because it represents a particular era of design and positioning. In this podcast snippet, it’s likely mentioned as a recognizable reference point tied to New York identity and shared connections.

It’s Electric is the company co-founded by Tia Gordon, focused on deploying and scaling electric mobility solutions. In the context of this episode, it’s likely tied to real-world implementation challenges like community acceptance and infrastructure rollout.

The Porsche 911 is a long-running sports car known for its distinctive rear-engine layout and evolution over many generations. It often comes up in conversations about engineering and design because Porsche has continually refined the platform while keeping the core identity recognizable. In a podcast context, it may be mentioned as a reference point for a major, ongoing transition in automotive hardware and design thinking.

The charging unit is the physical EV charger hardware that provides power to the vehicle. In the transcript, the speaker contrasts Tesla’s charging setup (connector returned to a cradle) with other brands’ messier cable management, which affects usability.

DC fast-charging is a method of charging an EV that uses direct current to deliver much higher power than standard AC charging. Higher power means shorter charging sessions, which is why it’s central to public charging networks and city-focused charging design.

User experience (UX) in EV charging means designing the charger and its surroundings so drivers can use it easily, safely, and consistently. This includes cable routing, connector storage, stall layout, and how intuitive the process feels—especially in public places where people may be unfamiliar with the system.

“Gen 1 charging” refers to an early generation of public EV charging design and deployment approaches. The speaker’s point is that earlier charging implementations got usability wrong, prompting a redesign focused on city use and better driver experience.

This is a product/design philosophy question: whether you design the charging hardware first and then choose where to install it, or whether you start with the location and user flow and design the charging solution around that. For public charging, placement and layout can be as important as the charger itself for usability and safety.

A detachable cable design separates the charger head from the cable, which can reduce wear and damage compared with fixed cables. It also helps with maintenance and replacement, and can improve safety and usability in public installations.

Flow is referenced as the company running a curbside charging program in New York City. The segment attributes high utilization and specific deployment choices (like curbside placement and partnerships) to Flow’s approach.

Con Edison is the electric utility serving New York City, so it’s central to how much power can be delivered to chargers and what it costs to connect them. In this segment, they’re described as installing chargers via direct utility connections.

A curbside charging program is an approach to place EV chargers in public street locations rather than only in private garages. It typically requires coordination with local utilities and city agencies to manage permits, power delivery, and charger placement.

DOT refers to the city’s Department of Transportation, which typically controls curb access, permits, and street infrastructure changes. In curbside charging, DOT involvement is often required for charger placement and compliance.

The segment notes that reservation systems can be difficult or not feasible for chargers in public spaces. That affects how utilization is managed and can lead to informal coordination among drivers to reduce wait times.

A direct utility connection means the charger is fed straight from the utility’s distribution system rather than from a nearby building panel or shared source. This often requires trenching and electrical work, which is why it can be expensive and slow to deploy.

Using spare capacity in buildings means tapping into unused electrical headroom from existing building service panels to power public chargers. This can lower installation cost and speed up deployment versus building new direct utility connections.

The Dodge Charger is a full-size American sedan that’s best known for its performance-focused trims and muscle-car heritage. It’s frequently discussed in the context of how powertrains and charging/energy strategies are changing, especially when the conversation touches on “levels” of charging and electrification. That makes it a natural vehicle to mention when comparing how different versions handle energy use and driving needs.

“Level 2” refers to a higher-power EV charging standard than basic Level 1, typically using 240V AC. The cable is the physical connector and wiring that delivers that power from the charger to the car, and its availability can vary by region and charging network.

CAC here appears to mean a customer acquisition/activation strategy tied to distributing charging equipment to drivers. The key idea is that the cable distribution is part of how the company grows usage in a neighborhood.

The segment highlights that the cable is often the first component to fail or get damaged on public chargers due to how drivers handle it. The discussion ties mechanical wear, user behavior, and environmental exposure to cable reliability.

Freeze-thaw cycles can stress outdoor EV charging hardware and cables by repeatedly expanding and contracting materials and by exposing connectors to moisture. This can accelerate wear, corrosion, and insulation degradation in cold climates.

The BMW i3 is a compact electric car from BMW. In this discussion, the host distinguishes between an i3 with a range extender (a small generator) and a pure battery-electric i3 without it.

A “120 cable” typically means a Level 1 EV charging setup using a standard 120V household outlet. The episode implies it’s slower and that the speaker hasn’t upgraded to Level 2 yet, which affects how often they rely on public charging.

Level 2 charging is an EV charging standard that uses 240V AC power, typically delivering much faster charging than standard household outlets (Level 1). The discussion connects Level 2 installation at home to reducing dependence on unreliable public chargers.

An “uptime requirement” is a policy or contract metric that measures how often chargers are operational. The episode references government incentives tied to uptime targets (e.g., 80% uptime), and questions whether real-world performance meets those goals.

Touch-pad interfaces on outdoor EV chargers can become unreliable in extreme heat and direct sun because the electronics and sensors may degrade or behave inconsistently. The episode specifically calls out hot climates as a problem area for these user interfaces.

“Eschomorphism” (likely referring to “skeuomorphism”) is a design approach where digital or physical interfaces mimic real-world objects. In this context, the speaker argues that early EV chargers were designed to look like gas pumps because people are familiar with that shape and interaction.

“Point of sale” refers to how the charging session is paid for and authorized. The speaker notes that reliability issues can come from the payment/transaction workflow, whether it’s handled by a physical interface or an app.

“Tap to pay” is a contactless payment method where you authorize payment by tapping a card or phone on the charger. The speaker lists it as one of the transaction options for using their chargers.

“Direct to vehicle coordination” describes coordinating charging directly with the car, rather than relying solely on the charger’s payment UI or a separate app flow. The speaker ties it to “plug in charge,” implying the vehicle can communicate to start/authorize charging.

Plug-and-charge is an EV charging workflow where you connect the cable and the car automatically authenticates and starts charging without using an app or card. It relies on standardized communication between the vehicle and charger to reduce friction at the pump.

CEC is referenced as a partner involved in making chargers compatible in a standardized form factor. In practice, this kind of coordination matters because bi-directional charging needs consistent hardware interfaces to work reliably across vehicles and chargers.

Bi-directional charging lets an EV send electricity back out through the charger, not just take power in. This enables functions like powering a building during outages or returning energy to the grid, depending on the system design and local utility rules.

V2G (vehicle-to-grid) is the idea that EVs can export electricity back to the power grid. It typically requires bi-directional hardware, grid/utility agreements, and software coordination so EVs can participate in energy markets—often starting with limited pilots before scaling.

Ford is included in the set of automakers said to support bi-directional charging capability. The episode uses this to argue that a critical mass of EVs could become V2G-ready.

Volkswagen is listed among automakers whose EVs support bi-directional charging capability. This reinforces the idea that V2G readiness is spreading across multiple OEMs.

GM is mentioned as supporting bi-directional charging capability in some vehicles. In the episode’s framing, this is evidence that V2G-capable cars are already available from multiple major automakers.

Kia is mentioned as one of the automakers whose vehicles support bi-directional charging capability. The takeaway is that multiple mainstream brands are already moving toward V2G-ready hardware/software.

Hyundai is mentioned as supporting bi-directional charging capability in certain EVs. This supports the broader claim that V2G isn’t limited to a single manufacturer.

Honda is cited as having EVs capable of bi-directional charging. The episode uses this to show that vehicle readiness for V2G is broader than many people expect.

Over-the-air (OTA) updates let automakers enable or unlock features remotely after the car is sold. In this context, it’s how some OEMs plan to activate bi-directional charging capability without requiring a dealer visit.

The host frames EVs as mobile energy storage—essentially large batteries that can store electricity and then use it (or potentially return energy) when needed. This idea supports grid-balancing and city energy management, especially when many vehicles are parked and available.

“Robo-taxis” are autonomous ride-hailing vehicles operating as a service. The key point here is that their charging needs depend on fleet scheduling and where vehicles idle/park between trips, which drives how charging infrastructure must be planned.

The segment uses ride-share fleet size (e.g., 80,000 vehicles) to illustrate charging demand and routing constraints. For EV planning, fleet vehicles behave differently than private cars because they follow schedules and return to specific service areas.

The speaker argues that charging must be localized within cities where EVs operate, using ride-share fleet examples to show that sending large numbers of EVs to distant chargers creates major time bottlenecks. This is essentially a capacity-and-logistics planning concept for fleet electrification.

Waymo is Alphabet’s autonomous-vehicle company that operates robotaxi services in multiple U.S. cities. In this segment, the hosts discuss Waymo’s publicly stated fleet size and how it’s distributed across markets, which matters for scaling and infrastructure planning.

This describes the operational challenge of charging autonomous robotaxis at the curb without a human plugging in. It introduces reliability and safety concerns because the system must handle frequent, repeatable docking and connection under real-world conditions.

A robotic arm in this context is an automated mechanism that physically connects a charging cable to a vehicle. For high-utilization fleets, the arm becomes a wear-and-failure point, so uptime and maintenance planning are critical.

Inductive charging uses electromagnetic fields to transfer energy from a pad in the ground to a receiver on the vehicle, without a direct cable connection. The hosts are considering a design where the vehicle drives over an inductive pad, which could reduce moving parts like cable handling but adds requirements for precise positioning and infrastructure placement.

CapEx (capital expenditures) are upfront costs required to build or expand infrastructure, like buying land and installing charging equipment. Here, the hosts use CapEx to explain why depot charging can be financially challenging.

A fast charger is a high-power EV charging station designed to reduce charging time, often using DC fast charging. The segment highlights the high per-stall cost for fast chargers, which drives the overall economics of depot charging.

“Charging curves” describe how a battery’s charging speed changes over time as it fills up. Different EVs (and even different battery states) taper power at different rates, so a charger can be “occupied” for longer even if the user thinks they’re just topping up.

“Overstay” here means a driver keeping a charger occupied after their vehicle has reached a desired state of charge (or after charging has effectively maxed out). Networks may penalize or notify users to free up the charger for others, especially in dense urban areas.

“Alternate side of the street parking” is a city parking rule where drivers must move vehicles periodically to allow street cleaning. In the context of EV charging, it affects how long cars can remain plugged in and whether charging networks need to coordinate notifications and enforcement.

The episode discusses a target charging window of roughly 20% to 100% state of charge during long overnight dwell times. That’s a practical strategy for maximizing driver convenience while managing charger availability in crowded cities.

“Dwell time” is how long a vehicle stays parked at a charger. Charging operations depend heavily on dwell time because it determines how many charging sessions a single curbside spot can support per day.

This refers to short, daytime charging sessions that happen opportunistically rather than as planned overnight charging. The logistics challenge is that short sessions can still create congestion if many drivers arrive at once, reducing availability for others.

A curbside EV charging spot is a charging location installed along the street in front of a building or property. It typically requires city planning approval because it can affect future road changes like bike lanes or bus lanes.

An electric panel (electrical service panel) is the building’s main distribution point for power. For EV charging, the panel must have enough available capacity to safely run the charger without overloading.

The agreement duration (five, 10, or 15 years) defines how long the operator is allowed to install and operate the charger in a specific city/location. Longer terms typically provide stability for the operator’s investment and the property owner’s expected payments.

Curbside charging is installing EV charging equipment in public street parking areas so drivers can charge where they already park. It’s especially important in cities where many residents don’t have home garages or dedicated off-street parking.

RFPs (Requests for Proposals) are formal bids cities issue when they want to hire a company to deliver a service or project. In EV charging, winning an RFP can grant the operator the right to install and run chargers in a defined area.

In business, a “greenfield” opportunity means building something new from the ground up in a market that hasn’t been fully developed yet. Here, it suggests curbside charging is still early enough that there’s room to establish infrastructure and relationships.

Exclusive operating rights mean the city grants one operator the sole authority to run charging services in a defined area or contract scope. This can reduce competition and help the operator recoup investment by securing a predictable customer base.

The speaker notes that many people associate “the charger” with faster charging, especially for road trips. In urban curbside contexts, the charging experience may be more about frequent, convenient top-ups than occasional long-distance charging.

The segment highlights that many dense urban residents rely on on-street parking instead of private driveways/garages. That reality changes how charging must be designed—often requiring public or shared solutions rather than home charging.

A “neighborhood charger” refers to a shared charging setup serving multiple residents in an area where home charging isn’t feasible. The hosts argue that because many EV owners don’t need to charge every night, one shared charger can support many drivers.

This segment contrasts San Francisco and Boston as examples of how local policy and charging deployment affect EV adoption. The hosts use city-level outcomes to illustrate why utilization can vary widely even when chargers are installed.

The segment discusses how EV buyers on the West Coast rebuy EVs at a higher rate than on the East Coast. The hosts attribute the difference largely to regional charging infrastructure and the resulting user experience.

EV infrastructure refers to the network of charging options—home charging, workplace charging, and public fast chargers—plus how easy they are to access and use. When infrastructure is better in a region, EV adoption and repeat EV purchases tend to be higher.

A charging plan is a structured way to ensure an EV buyer knows where they’ll charge day-to-day and on longer trips. In the segment, the speaker contrasts this with older approaches that just pointed buyers to a generic charging network.

The speaker references an older, less-specific approach to charging access—pointing buyers to a branded charging network. The point is that simply naming a network isn’t enough; the buyer still needs to know where they’ll actually charge in their routine.

“Public chargers” are charging stations available to anyone, typically located in public or semi-public areas like streets, parking lots, and near businesses. The discussion frames them as an infrastructure solution that can be deployed widely.

A “utilization backstop” is a business/operations term meaning the charging provider has a guaranteed or supported level of charger usage. In practice, it’s meant to reduce the risk that a charger sits idle.

The speaker contrasts slow charging versus faster Level 2 charging by citing a “full charge” taking about 36 hours. This highlights how charging speed depends on the power level and can affect whether home charging is convenient.

The “neighborhood model” is an approach where EV charging is shared locally rather than each household owning a dedicated charger. The idea is to reduce the upfront cost burden while still improving access for people who park on the street.

VMTs means Vehicle Miles Traveled—how many miles a vehicle covers over time. The speaker uses it to argue that rideshare drivers rack up far more mileage, which increases charging needs.

The segment references policy requirements pushing ride-hail fleets (Uber, Lyft, and related companies) toward being “majority electric” by 2030. These kinds of mandates directly affect charging demand and infrastructure planning.

This describes a charging-as-a-service idea: monetizing a home or neighborhood charger by allowing ride-hail drivers to use it. It’s a practical way to increase charger utilization and lower costs for the owner.

“Choosy” is used as a project-specific term for how they select and place charging locations. In context, it’s part of their planning method to improve both daytime and overnight charging availability.

“Juicy corners” are defined as locations that are residential high-density but also overlap with a commercial corridor. This hybrid placement supports both opportunistic daytime charging and consistent overnight charging.

Opportunistic daytime charging means drivers can charge during the day when they’re out and about, rather than relying only on overnight charging. The episode ties this to charger placement near commercial corridors.

“Building out a new layer of infrastructure” refers to expanding the systems needed for EVs to work at scale—especially charging networks, permitting, grid upgrades, and operational planning. It’s a reminder that charging deployment is an ecosystem, not just buying chargers.

The phrase frames EV charging as more than a technical engineering challenge—it's also about people, policy, and community coordination. Real-world charging rollout depends on stakeholder alignment (cities, utilities, property owners, and drivers) and on how well charging fits into daily life.

This highlights the “curbside charging” use case: enabling EV drivers to charge while parked on public streets rather than relying on private garages or driveways. Curbside charging is often the hardest segment to scale because it requires location planning, permitting, and power access.

“Level 1” charging is the slowest common charging tier for EVs, usually using standard household power. Because it’s slower, it’s often best for overnight charging or situations where you don’t need a quick turnaround.

Range anxiety is the worry that an EV won’t have enough battery to reach a destination or a charger. It’s a key reason charging infrastructure—especially convenient, local options—has been a major focus as EV adoption grows.