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.

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(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!)

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

SunCast

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