Electrify America's Interim CEO Tests 28 Charging Stations Across the Country

Electrify America's CEO-elect Robert Barrosa has taken a cross-country road trip in an electric vehicle to test the charging network stations of the company. Barossa drove from Los Angeles to Reston, Virginia where the company's headquarters is located.

US-ELECTRIC-AUTO — An Electric Vehicle charging station lights up green in the parking lot of a Ralph's supermarket in Monterey Park, California on May 18, 2021. - President Joe Biden's administration continues the push for alternative forms of transportation and energy and on a visit today to the Ford Motor plant in Dearborn, Michigan, Biden made the case for his $174 billion electric-vehicle proposal, urging automakers not to build zero-emission vehicles abroad for US consumers and touting electric vehicles as the future of the auto industry. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Testing EV Charging Stations

Before taking the role as the chief of the company, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Electrify America Robert Barrosa tested the company's charging stations across the country. According to Electrek's report, he drove from March 31 to April 6 as his first assignment, almost 2,800 miles in a Hyundai IONIQ 5.

In this effort. Barrosa stopped, tested, and briefly checked 28 Electricy America charging stations, visiting a total of 13 states in the span of 7 days. Among the cities that he visited are California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

His visit with the station networks revealed that while in some stations he experienced problem-free charging, some stations were either out of order or not offering a "fast-charging" feature. For instance, he experienced a down in an EV charger in West Unite, Ohio, which led to the application crashing.

Barrosa called customer service through a call center, leading to successfully resolving the problem despite taking time. He admittedly said, "There are still issues for us and for the industry to work through when it comes to charging infrastructure."

Despite looking drained after arriving in Reston as he concludes the trip, he called this experience enlighting since he also chatted with other electric vehicle owners during the country-cross road trip. As he concluded the experience, he added that he looks forward to revealing his plans as the new CEO of the company.

Replacing Palazzo

Last February, Electrify America conducted a shakeup of its executives, announcing Vice President of Technology Barrosa as the interim CEO of the company. Automotive News reported that he is expected to take over the duties as president and CEO on June 1st, with two executives working together until then for a smooth transition.

Barrosa joined Electrify America in 2018 where he held several leadership positions ever since he was hired, this includes energy management, product planning, and infrastructure development. Through his help, Electric Canada was also launched as an expansion of the charging network across North America.

Also Read : New Electrify America EV Charging Station Unveiled; Here's Why They're Called 'Ultra-Fast,' 'Hyper-Fast'

During the announcement of his promotion, he thanked his predecessor for the leadership he inherited during his stay as VP. "I look forward to his continued support in his new role as chairman of the company," he added.

Reuters reported that Giovanni Palazzo, the former CEO, became Volkswagen Energy and Charging Chief on February 15, hence why the position became vacant. Palazzo helped the company to grow over 800 stations home to 3,500 chargers in his five-year stay.