E-Mobility Asia

Smart Oregon Solutions and Smart Optimal Solutions attend the 2nd annual Malaysian E-Mobility Asia Conference and visit our Smart Display manufacturer in Malaysia.

This E-mobility Asia conference showcases the latest advancements in sustainable electromobility, featuring EV technologies, charging infrastructure, battery solutions, energy storage, logistics, and system providers. The team consists of Patrice Tsague, our Chief Executive Officer, Barry Redman, VP of Operations, Travis Parr, Operations Support, and Poh Sim Saw, Director of Tech and Innovation with the Nehemiah Entrepreneurship Community. The objectives of this trip were to get an idea of what Asia is doing in the renewable energy arena and how that model could be applied to Africa, to strengthen relationships with our partners, and to explore possible new partnerships. We also wanted to identify potential applications in the U.S.

The conference was attended by delegates from surrounding Southeast Asian nations, Africa, and the U.S., including government and corporate representatives. This conference was held together with the EV Expo and the Sustainability Environment Asia Expo. Our partners had invited us to join as this conference aligned with several of SOS’ main objective areas.

Karuna’s Smart City Software Solutions

The SOS team was able to meet up with several of our partners, as well as meet new potential partners. Karuna, our partner with smart city software and some hardware options, took us to their KL office. We met with Melvin Ong, Andy Lim, and a number of their team members. This meeting helped us to have a better understanding of the products available from them and how we can integrate those offerings into our business model. We also learned that they have solutions to complement our existing products. They already have camera controllers that could be added to our SolPols, smart home security software and hardware among other things. There is also potential for SOS to provide them with SolPols for projects in Malaysia.

EV Scooter Makers

Karuna has connections to a Malaysian manufacturer of 2-wheel electric scooters. Eclimo was founded by one of the pioneers of electric batteries in Malaysia. These scooters are of higher spec and build quality than typical Chinese-made EV scooters. This company already has a lease model that is working well for the business-to-business (B2B), and business-to-government sectors (B2G). They have a limited presence in the consumer market but there is potential for growth in that sector. The lease B2B and B2G models have great potential for us to introduce to Mexico and Africa. The manufacturers have been established in the market for a while now and started with battery production. They also worked with the government to create the registration regulations for EV scooters in Malaysia, so they have a great working understanding of the process from conception to execution.

Meeting with Delegates from Zambia

The Karuna partners also introduced us to representatives from the office of the High Commissioner of Zambia who are interested in the development of renewable energy in Zambia. They are in the process of learning how the models in Asia can be used in Zambia, which perfectly aligns with our strategy of coming to this conference as well. They have offered to make introductions to us with the Embassy in the U.S. as well as provide us with the documentation that the government produced on renewable energy. There is a potential project for SolPols in Zambia as they are in the process of updating their main highway system. Zambia has an MOU with Congo in regards to managing resources in their countries and has generally good relations with their 8 neighboring nations. They have a stable democratic government and are uniquely positioned to be a positive example and partner in Southern Africa. Zambia and DRC are working to implement an innovative transboundary battery and electric vehicle Special Economic Zone. This solidified the need for a trip to Africa and brought clarity to which team members and places we need to visit.

Visiting the Office of InfinityPro

In Singapore, we paid a visit to InfinityPro’s office. Here we were introduced to all the products we are familiar with and several we were not familiar with. InfinityPro’s office was jam-packed with products. Melvin showed us several iterations of models where they have continued to build and improve on the designs. He demonstrated some of the back-end software that they have been developing in-house.

We were also able to visit one of their warehouses that they also use as a diagnostic and repair center. Their commitment to developing, providing, and maintaining a quality product was amazing. It gave us confidence that these are the right people to be doing business with.

After we got all the business aspects out of the way, the next stop was some of Singapore’s other offerings. We stopped by an impressive shopping center and saw a variety of flagship stores. At these locations, we were able to brainstorm and get inspired for our own innovation center at the Lloyd Center.

Added Bonus to the Trip

The next day, we caught up with Jason Williams, son of Col. Jeff Williams, and had a great time over lunch. Jason had helped advise Patrice during a time of transition so it was a good opportunity to update him on all the progress that has happened since then. It is always nice to have some time to reflect on how the journey has progressed from times of struggle to times of building and promise.

Planning for the Next Steps

During our last day there, we looked ahead with excitement for the many opportunities at our doorstep. As we spent time itemizing the next steps for all the different action areas, it was clear this trip produced a lot of fruit and provided the layout for future trips. With relationships strengthened and greater connections, we look forward to implementing the many things discussed, as we move forward in these partnerships.

Written by,
Travis Parr
Operations Support

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