Sticking to my theme of being unplugged, I'd like to share an article that is actually about plugging in - an electric vehicle. This is brought to you by the Electric Vehicle Association of America.
- JR
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A Start Up Vision
PEVA business members create a new EV charging platform
When Dwi Sutandar and Lin Sun Fa grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia, the beaches were long and beautiful but the ocean was so contaminated no one could swim in it.
“I live in Seattle and I’ve traveled to Florida and the water has always been crystal clear,” said Sutandar, who arrived in the U.S with a scholarship to study chemical engineering at Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. “In Jakarta, the water is brown and there’s garbage floating on top. Living in a clean environment in Indonesia is a privilege, not a right.”
It’s not surprising, then, that within a few years of arriving in the U.S., Sutandar and Fa, along with fellow Purdue student Christopher Jing, launched AeonCharge, a platform enabling electric vehicle (EV) drivers to locate, activate, and pay for charging sessions across different providers with two simple taps, all on one app.
“The dream is to make public charging more convenient and increase EV adoption,” said Fa. “EVs are just so critical to achieving sustainable living and a lower carbon footprint.”
“Our end goal is a universal passport,” explained Sutandar. “AeonCharge can already access four of the larger networks that comprise 60% of all charging networks in the country. We’re hoping to get to 90% in 2024.”
Sutandar and Fa left Jakarta for Purdue at approximately the same time, meeting when they both became involved in a college chapter of an international nonprofit focusing on achieving water access through solar power in developing countries. Over a summer break, the two students worked together on a solar project in a small, remote village six hours from Jakarta.
Back in Indiana, they moved into the startup space, where they met Jing, who has an extensive background in online business.
