Month: April 2023

According to IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 report, transport accounts for one-fifth of the world’s carbon emissions and is expected to increase roughly 20% by 2050. With transport accounting for a significant amount of carbon emissions, it is high time to switch to sustainable modes of transport such as electric vehicles (EVs).

A decade ago, when electric vehicles were still a buzzword in the market, SAP Labs India launched a Green Car policy. Launched in 2011, the policy offered a subsidy for employees purchasing electric vehicles. Employees were provided charging stations across the Bengaluru campus along with convenient parking spaces.

In 2014, SAP Labs India took the first major step in implementing the use of EVs by transitioning to electric-powered cabs for employees working in shifts. In 2022, 95% of the fleet used for employees working on shifts were electric vehicles. Approximately 4,000 employees use the shift shuttle services every month. “The goal is to transition to a 95% green commute by the end of 2023. This includes using both electric vehicles and vehicles running on compressed natural gas (CNG) for all modes of transport provided across all lines of businesses in all SAP Labs India entities,” said Sudhakar Reddy, head of Intelligent Operations at SAP Labs India.

Today, the SAP Labs India Bengaluru campus houses 65 EV charging stations. In addition to powering the in-house cabs, these slow, medium, and fast chargers also encourage employees to make responsible choices and thereby help create a cleaner environment. SAP Labs India also purchased a new self-driving electric vehicle with official sustainability branding for all internal cab services, including cabs for guests and expats.

In addition to the above initiatives, SAP Labs India has partnered with Yulu, a micro-mobility solution that provides sustainable first- and last-mile connectivity for SAP employees who rely on public transportation. Ather Energy, a leading Indian electric vehicle manufacturer and SAP customer, provides additional discounts to employees of SAP Labs India. SAP Labs India worked with Ather Energy on a three-day drive at the Bengaluru campus where employees got first-hand experience test driving electric scooters. The initiative aimed to spread awareness among SAP employees about the use of electric vehicles. Ather will be conducting this drive across other SAP Labs India campuses as well.

In February, the Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz visited the SAP Labs India Bengaluru campus. During the visit, the chancellor experienced demonstrations across various fields such as digitalization, sustainability, digital supply chain, and e-mobility. An engaging, live, end-to-end demo of the SAP E-Mobility solution was also presented to the delegates.

SAP E-Mobility can enable companies and governments to manage charging infrastructure networks to drive the transition to sustainable electric mobility. Srinivasa Raghavachar, senior director and head of Automotive Industry Cloud Product Management at SAP Labs India, said, “We firmly believe that our solution plays a vital role in decarbonizing the transport sector and creating a cleaner and more sustainable future for everyone.”

The electric vehicle revolution will have an overall positive influence on our society. Embracing this revolution will not only help us mitigate the current environmental crisis but will also stimulate future-focused technological innovations.

On April 5, 2023, United hosted the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) for a day-long event at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where eight startup companies participated in a “Shark Tank”-like format to pitch solutions for how United can more effectively charge and utilize electric Ground Service Equipment (eGSE).

The startups were specifically asked to present options to improve eGSE charging infrastructure.

As United works to electrify their entire GSE fleet, having the proper charging infrastructure in place will be critical. LAX is already ahead of the curve, and nearly 60% of United’s GSE fleet is electric with charging stations at every gate.

The charging solutions pitched highlighted ways to use existing proprietary equipment such as mobile battery and charging technologies to expand the range and efficiency of battery-powered eGSE. Following the pitches, LACI moderated a panel of United experts from Environmental Sustainability Director Betty Jurkowski, Global Procurement Senior Category Manager Brett Whitten, Project Manager John Solon and Strategic Analysis Lead Analyst Jon Nestor, devoted to “How to do Business with United.”

To help give the startups a better idea of the power needs of the current fleet, members of United’s GSE team gave brief overviews of pieces of electric equipment currently in use at LAX. Representatives from the startups had the opportunity to ask questions and see the equipment up close.

“The startups presented unique ideas for solving our eGSE challenges,” said John. “We’ll be following up with a number of them to explore ways United might implement their solutions.”

“A lot of these startups today don’t think about — and don’t have access to the airport space – so it’s nice we can bring the startups to our hangar to walk through and see our equipment, talk to our technicians about their challenges and the startups can look at it in a way we haven’t looked at from the airline’s perspective,” added Global Community Engagement Programs Senior Manager Aaron Stash.

LACI is creating an inclusive green economy for the people of Los Angeles by unlocking innovation and working with startups to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies, transforming markets through partnerships with policymakers, innovators, and market leaders in transportation, energy and sustainable cities. The company is enhancing communities through workforce development, pilots and other programs.

“LACI is our original Clean Tech incubator partner, and we’ve been working together for five years,” said Aaron. “United supports organizations like LACI to make sure there’s a connection to clean tech that also supports diverse communities. The startups LACI focuses on are really at the forefront of that.”

For United’s GSE and Facilities teams, the event couldn’t have come at a better time.

“As we roll out more electric vehicles at our hubs, we know we have a variety of challenges when it comes to charging the equipment,” said GSE and Facilities Managing Director Paul Joklik. “We’re grateful to have partnerships with organizations like LACI to look to for subject matter expert guidance on our path.”

The participating startups included:

Automotus 

Automotus has built first-of-its-kind automated curb management solutions to help reduce emissions, congestion and safety hazards in our communities. Automotus’s curb management solutions help cities, airports, fleets and businesses increase revenue while creating more sustainable, equitable streets.

ChargeNet Stations 

ChargeNet Stations is building the most comprehensive EV charging network in the United States. ChargeNet’s Stations software platform makes it seamless for quick-serve restaurants to offer customers a superior EV charge up experience while satisfying their hunger. ChargeNet’s ChargeOpt(TM) hardware-agnostic SaaS platform optimizes EV chargers and renewable energy to turn parking lots into profit centers.

ElectricFish 

ElectricFish is a climate tech company building distributed microgrid energy storage XFC (Extreme Fast Charging) stations powered by software. ElectricFish’s patented, turnkey energy storage solutions bring unprecedented convenience to the EV charging experience while also supporting energy resilience in local communities, all with 100% renewable energy, eliminating the transportation sector’s carbon footprint.

Evolectric 

Evolectric has dedicated themselves to power fleet operations with clean, efficient and safe electrification solutions. Evolectric partners with businesses to create comprehensive electrification strategies and deliver unique electrified mobility battery solutions to transportation, industrial and commercial segments across the U.S and emerging markets. Evolectric’s CircularEV™ solutions renew the life of existing commercial vehicles on the road by upgrading them to be smart and 100% electric.

Humble

Humble makes and rents user-friendly electric carts, primarily designed for entertainment production sets, that provide temporary and remote clean power unlike the usual dirty and loud diesel-fueled vehicles. Through a LACI-funded pilot, Humble recently tested and validated their first software platform integration that offers a safer, more efficient way to monitor battery safety remotely, receive notifications of charge status in real-time, and coordinate management and charging using the cloud.

Microgrid Labs

Microgrid Labs Inc (MGL) is a consulting and software company specializing in commercial fleet electrification and microgrids. MGL services range from initial assessment, feasibility studies, modeling, simulation and optimization to support during the implementation and operations phase.

Relyion Energy, Inc.

Relyion aims to solve the problem of the expected, exponential increase in unusable electric vehicle or lithium ion batteries. Relyion Energy is repurposing retired EV batteries to enable longer and sustainable use of Li-ion batteries.

The Habit Burger Grill is proud to feature the female voices in our company that make The Habit Burger a more remarkable place to work. Meet our Chief Financial Officer, Tiffany Furman.

HBG: How do you achieve a work-life balance?

TF: I’d say prioritizing and having a really strong team leads to having more time for your personal life. You can’t do everything, so it’s helpful to pick and choose what will make the most impact. The key is to make sure you communicate to ensure the right people are aware and aligned with what you’re focusing on and what you’re putting further down the list. Also, taking the time to build the team’s capability or hire the right person makes everyone’s lives better. I’ve had some very high performing teams and it’s amazing what they can accomplish quickly and efficiently. Lastly, I have an extremely supportive husband and we take turns taking on more life responsibilities when the other is busier.

HBG: Who Was Your Favorite Female Figure?

TF: Growing up, I was inspired by Cheryl Miller. Being from Indiana, I remember thinking it was so cool that Reggie Miller had an older sister that he self-admittedly would say could beat him at basketball. In addition to being a great player, she also thrived as a sports reporter and coach. It’s such an achievement for her time considering the popularity of women sports, which is still lacking today.

HBG: How Can we Support & Empower Other Women?

TF: Throughout my own career, I’ve been fortunate to work with many amazing female leaders. These women empower others by leading by example, showing that anything is possible and providing opportunities to people who are most deserving regardless of gender or race.