Vehya CEO William McCoy Shares His EV Adoption Story and Vehya’s Mission

Vehya CEO and Founder William McCoy interviewed by Bill Pierce, Publisher, EVinfo.net. Vehya helps auto dealers and homeowners install EV infrastructure. In this interview, McCoy shares his company’s mission, as well as his own personal EV adoption story.

BP: Tell us a little about yourself.

WM: William McCoy, CEO and Founder of Vehya. I’m obsessed with electric vehicles of all sorts. From cars, trucks, boats, and planes. You name it EV wise and I’m all about it. I also love CrossFit. Haha.

BP: Who founded your company? When did that happen?

WM: I founded Vehya about 2 years ago. But really started to help auto dealers and homeowners get the EV infrastructure they need about 9 months ago. So we’re a startup!

BP: Please list the current leadership and describe their roles.

WM: Marissa McCoy is president. Our CFO is Robert Rooney. Our master electrician is Ed Talley. Hermela Abraham is our Operations Manager. And me, William McCoy, CEO and Founder of Vehya.

BP: What is your company’s mission?

WM: We are on a mission to make EV adoption as simple as Amazon makes getting a package delivered. Everything from choosing the right charger to installation and service, we make it easy for our customers.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=AiTxVMi_AJ4

BP: What services/products do you provide?

WM: We provide sales, service and installation of electric vehicle supply equipment. We are a software as a service company that gives people a turnkey solution for EV chargers.

BP: I strongly believe that if an employee is treated well, the company benefits from having a greater retention rate. Does your company offer policies such as remote work and unlimited PTO?

WM: We do offer remote work. We’ve partnered with companies like Bamboo Detroit and WeWork to provide a network of office space for our electricians and employees to work from, no matter where they are in the world. This means remote work is always an option.

BP: How has your company supported sustainability?

WM: We support sustainability in two ways. First by installation and service of the infrastructure needed for electric vehicle adoption. Secondly, we encourage young people to get into the electrical field. Think about this way, all sustainability products convert into electricity. By Vehya working with local school systems and adultED programs, we are introducing people to the world of sustainability as option for purchasing goods as well as a career. Thus supporting sustainability.  

BP: How and when did you get into EVs? Which EVs have you owned? What have been your most favorite and least favorite features of them?

WM: I got my first electric vehicle over 6 years ago. It was a hybrid Acura IDX. Last year I got my first all-electric aka BEV, which is the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EUV. I love the fact that it is all electric and the convenience of charging from home every day is awesome. What I do not like is that automakers have yet to provide an EV charging rate that is close to the speed of gas. I did a video where I went from Detroit, Michigan to Washington DC in my Chevy Bolt EUV. It’s an 8-hour trip at minimum. It took me 14 hours to get there because of the slow charging rate of my vehicle and alternate routes I needed to take to get there. This is partly infrastructure and partly evolution of technology. Vehya is working on the infrastructure side. And I know Auto OEMs are working on the speed/rate of charge.

BP: How has your company promoted EV adoption in the past?

WM: We are a startup that from inception our whole process and business model has been around promoting EV adoption and making it easy for everyone.

BP: What plans does your org have for promoting EV adoption in the future?

WM: We plan to create 100,000 electrical professionals by 2030 through Vehya’s workforce development initiative. This commitment both reinforces the workforce needed to make full EV adoption viable. And it also introduces EVs to a diverse group of people throughout the U.S. and the world.

BP: What are the biggest barriers to EV adoption in your opinion? How could these barriers be overcome?

WM: We hear the pain point all the time. The biggest barrier is finding an electrician and charger for their home or office. We are working everyday at Vehya to overcome those barriers with the use of technology to make EVSE installation and service way more efficient and user friendly.

BP: What do you believe government could do to promote EV adoption that they are not currently doing?

WM: I think the administration and government is doing a great job of promoting EV adoption. I believe with the aid that is coming, it will promote private investment into the market. In turn the private sector will push forward true EV adoption through competition and innovation.

BP: How could middle class and lower income families be assisted in adopting EVs?

WM: This is something I personally struggle with since I was a product of a lower income family as a child. We are working on ways to give these families careers through workforce development at Vehya. These electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) careers are lucrative and will increase income substantially for many, giving these families access to EV adoption . We also provide financing options through partnerships to help with the upfront cost of EV adoption. In reality, owning an EV is less of a financial burden than owning an ICE vehicle. If we can get more people from these two incomes levels to adopt EVs, it will be financially beneficial for all parties.

For more information visit Vehya.

Thank you William McCoy for taking the time to speak with us. We greatly appreciate your efforts in EV adoption and your time.