Episode 475

475: James Worden, The “Bill Gates of EV” & Solectria Corporation (Part 1)

Published on: 26th May, 2022

Part 1.  The Beginning.  In 1996, after years of “can’t be done” grumbling from the major automakers, Solectria announced the development of the sporty Sunrise electric car under the leadership of CEO James Worden, calculating that the price could be as low as $20,000 if they got 20,000 orders.  Ahead of his time in every way, James inspired an EV revolution, laying the foundation for innovation in not one but two industries, and we get to his contribution to the solar industry in Part 2 of the conversation.  

For years, I’ve admired James and Solectria from afar, installing their solar inverters on some of my favorite projects over a decade ago.  Today, you’ll get to hear a two-part conversation from our in-person interview in Boston earlier this year.  We get a rare glimpse into Worden’s early life, the proving ground of his engineering mettle at MIT, his entrepreneurial story and what ultimately became his life’s obsession, Solectria Corporation.  There’s so much we unpack today, so settle in for a deep dive with the one and only James Worden. 

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.

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SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.

You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.

Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

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You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

(yes, not lost on us that we are sponsored by an inverter company and telling the story of another inverter company - but that’s why we love Sungrow, they’re very secure in their position and love seeing others win too!)

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About the Podcast

SunCast
Your resource for developing a clean energy or climate tech career
Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy.

SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs.

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more.

You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia

...or view the full archive of SunCast episodes here: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes