1 00:00:15,316 --> 00:00:23,756 Speaker 1: Pushkin. In twenty seventeen, when Tesla announced plans to sell 2 00:00:23,796 --> 00:00:28,236 Speaker 1: an electric semi truck, Chase Barber was in I reserved 3 00:00:28,236 --> 00:00:30,516 Speaker 1: a Tesla Semi. On the day of the revealing, they 4 00:00:30,556 --> 00:00:32,956 Speaker 1: put out the little thing of like reservation numbers, and 5 00:00:32,996 --> 00:00:37,076 Speaker 1: I'm like reservation number five on this Tesla Semi. Chase 6 00:00:37,156 --> 00:00:39,476 Speaker 1: was the co owner of a small trucking company in 7 00:00:39,516 --> 00:00:43,076 Speaker 1: British Columbia. He and his partner bought and restored old 8 00:00:43,116 --> 00:00:45,636 Speaker 1: trucks and they drove them to haul logs and set 9 00:00:45,716 --> 00:00:49,836 Speaker 1: up power systems for remote towns in northern Canada. So 10 00:00:50,036 --> 00:00:53,156 Speaker 1: Chase was excited about the possibility of an electric truck. 11 00:00:53,676 --> 00:00:56,156 Speaker 1: Then a few years passed and a few more and 12 00:00:56,236 --> 00:01:00,796 Speaker 1: the Tesla Semi still wasn't available. So we thought, well, 13 00:01:00,836 --> 00:01:02,676 Speaker 1: we know how to build a truck. We can make 14 00:01:02,716 --> 00:01:06,116 Speaker 1: a truck. We've been building and restoring. Why don't we 15 00:01:06,156 --> 00:01:08,396 Speaker 1: just make our own electric truck. And I said, screw it. 16 00:01:08,396 --> 00:01:09,836 Speaker 1: We can actually do this when we can make it 17 00:01:09,836 --> 00:01:15,236 Speaker 1: as a company. And while we canceled our reservation, I 18 00:01:15,356 --> 00:01:18,276 Speaker 1: got the twenty five thousand dollars US back that we 19 00:01:18,316 --> 00:01:20,556 Speaker 1: had to put down for it, and I use that 20 00:01:20,716 --> 00:01:30,116 Speaker 1: twenty five thousand dollars to start Edison Motors. I'm Jacob 21 00:01:30,116 --> 00:01:32,876 Speaker 1: Goldstein and this is What's Your Problem, a show where 22 00:01:32,916 --> 00:01:36,676 Speaker 1: I talk to people who are trying to make technological progress. 23 00:01:37,156 --> 00:01:41,236 Speaker 1: My guest today is Chase Barber, co founder of Edison Motors. 24 00:01:41,716 --> 00:01:45,276 Speaker 1: Chase's problem is this, how do you build electric logging 25 00:01:45,316 --> 00:01:48,876 Speaker 1: trucks in rural Canada with money you raised from people 26 00:01:48,916 --> 00:01:52,556 Speaker 1: who follow you on TikTok. Before he started his company, 27 00:01:52,716 --> 00:01:56,116 Speaker 1: Chase drove a logging truck and he loved it. It 28 00:01:56,276 --> 00:01:59,116 Speaker 1: is such a good job. It's the only job logging 29 00:01:59,196 --> 00:02:00,716 Speaker 1: on the West coast or I think you can be 30 00:02:00,796 --> 00:02:04,676 Speaker 1: scared driving at like five mile an hour, ten mile 31 00:02:04,756 --> 00:02:07,436 Speaker 1: an hour and you're in a white knuckle on the wheel. Look, 32 00:02:07,996 --> 00:02:09,956 Speaker 1: I love it. I love being up in the mountains, 33 00:02:09,996 --> 00:02:13,396 Speaker 1: going up into the bush every day. The roads are challenging, 34 00:02:13,436 --> 00:02:16,316 Speaker 1: there's no traffic, it's just pure driving. Did you ever 35 00:02:16,436 --> 00:02:19,956 Speaker 1: almost die? Oh yeah, yeah, so many times? Like that's 36 00:02:19,996 --> 00:02:22,396 Speaker 1: just that's just a fact in life. How'd you get 37 00:02:22,476 --> 00:02:26,476 Speaker 1: from driving a logging truck to starting a company? Well, 38 00:02:26,516 --> 00:02:29,556 Speaker 1: that started back in university. I decided that I should 39 00:02:29,596 --> 00:02:31,716 Speaker 1: go back after I was tired of driving truck for 40 00:02:31,796 --> 00:02:34,996 Speaker 1: like three years and I'm like, okay, I need a backup. 41 00:02:35,036 --> 00:02:36,876 Speaker 1: It's like, in case I don't want to do this 42 00:02:36,916 --> 00:02:39,196 Speaker 1: my whole life, I'll go to university while I'm still 43 00:02:39,236 --> 00:02:41,316 Speaker 1: young and single and have you know, it would be 44 00:02:41,316 --> 00:02:46,516 Speaker 1: a good time. But after four years of university, you know, 45 00:02:47,076 --> 00:02:48,876 Speaker 1: I did really well. I had like a four point 46 00:02:48,996 --> 00:02:51,916 Speaker 1: er GPA in economics. And it's not bragg and it's 47 00:02:51,916 --> 00:02:54,156 Speaker 1: just tell you how bad the job market is. At 48 00:02:54,236 --> 00:02:56,876 Speaker 1: least when I was graduating is I did a Bank 49 00:02:56,876 --> 00:03:01,116 Speaker 1: of Canada economic forecasting contest where I came second place 50 00:03:01,116 --> 00:03:03,396 Speaker 1: in Canada and got offered a job as a junior 51 00:03:03,396 --> 00:03:06,516 Speaker 1: economist at the Bank. Bank of Canada's the Central Bank 52 00:03:06,556 --> 00:03:08,996 Speaker 1: of Canada, Like like that's head in the US. Yeah, yeah, 53 00:03:09,196 --> 00:03:11,996 Speaker 1: the US Federal Reserve as an economist there. And after 54 00:03:12,116 --> 00:03:15,636 Speaker 1: four years of university, the salary was forty five thousand 55 00:03:15,676 --> 00:03:19,796 Speaker 1: a year Canadian Like what I drove truck And I 56 00:03:19,876 --> 00:03:24,956 Speaker 1: made more money driving truck in one summer at university 57 00:03:25,316 --> 00:03:28,716 Speaker 1: working four months of the year than I did if 58 00:03:28,756 --> 00:03:30,476 Speaker 1: I was going to live in the center city of 59 00:03:30,516 --> 00:03:35,276 Speaker 1: Canada working at this prestige job. I'm like, that's insane. 60 00:03:35,396 --> 00:03:39,636 Speaker 1: So that's where I met my business partner Eric, and 61 00:03:39,676 --> 00:03:41,836 Speaker 1: I said, hey, we should just do a trucking company. 62 00:03:42,116 --> 00:03:45,356 Speaker 1: We got business degrees, I've got a real great background 63 00:03:45,396 --> 00:03:48,796 Speaker 1: in business. So we had the last of our money 64 00:03:48,796 --> 00:03:50,636 Speaker 1: that we had left after the year. We pulled it 65 00:03:50,676 --> 00:03:52,436 Speaker 1: up and we had about ten thousand dollars, so we 66 00:03:52,516 --> 00:03:54,956 Speaker 1: bought a truck and trailer for four thousand dollars in 67 00:03:55,116 --> 00:03:58,996 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty nine. Kenworth came with an old long logger 68 00:03:59,036 --> 00:04:01,636 Speaker 1: setup and we put that to work, and that's how 69 00:04:01,676 --> 00:04:04,636 Speaker 1: we started out in business bout six seven years ago. Now, 70 00:04:04,796 --> 00:04:07,116 Speaker 1: And were you driving that truck that you bought then? 71 00:04:07,276 --> 00:04:10,676 Speaker 1: Were you like owner operating? Oh yeah, yeah, we're owner operators. 72 00:04:10,716 --> 00:04:14,036 Speaker 1: We spent the whole last semester of university restoring this 73 00:04:14,076 --> 00:04:16,196 Speaker 1: old truck, fixing it all up at sat in a 74 00:04:16,236 --> 00:04:19,916 Speaker 1: field for like fifteen years. And then we got a 75 00:04:19,996 --> 00:04:22,796 Speaker 1: job and we went up to the ukon with this truck. 76 00:04:22,956 --> 00:04:25,796 Speaker 1: So up in northern Canada, up on the Arctic Circle 77 00:04:25,796 --> 00:04:29,236 Speaker 1: in a fifty year old logging truck, and that's how 78 00:04:29,236 --> 00:04:32,676 Speaker 1: we started our little business. So okay, so far, so good. 79 00:04:32,756 --> 00:04:36,476 Speaker 1: You got your truck, you're driving your truck, You're getting paid. 80 00:04:36,996 --> 00:04:39,676 Speaker 1: I mean lots of people spend their whole their whole 81 00:04:39,716 --> 00:04:42,756 Speaker 1: careers doing that. Oh yeah, that probably would have been 82 00:04:42,796 --> 00:04:47,396 Speaker 1: a good career. But we started doing like haul and 83 00:04:47,516 --> 00:04:51,116 Speaker 1: generators and haul and heavy equipment, and like we expanded 84 00:04:51,156 --> 00:04:54,876 Speaker 1: with the low bed into generators and machinery, and then 85 00:04:54,916 --> 00:04:57,156 Speaker 1: we thought, well, like, rather than just doing the trucking, 86 00:04:58,076 --> 00:05:00,196 Speaker 1: you can see that the money is doing the installs. 87 00:05:00,276 --> 00:05:02,636 Speaker 1: We can do some of these installs and construction. So 88 00:05:02,756 --> 00:05:07,996 Speaker 1: what are you what are you installing off grid diesel generators? 89 00:05:07,996 --> 00:05:12,316 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of mines, remote places. There's actually 90 00:05:12,356 --> 00:05:15,156 Speaker 1: over three hundred and fifty towns in Canada that aren't 91 00:05:15,156 --> 00:05:17,356 Speaker 1: hooked to the North American grid and rely one hundred 92 00:05:17,396 --> 00:05:21,196 Speaker 1: percent of diesel. So that's super expensive. You got to 93 00:05:21,196 --> 00:05:24,196 Speaker 1: bring in the fuel to these remote places. It's inefficient, 94 00:05:24,596 --> 00:05:28,676 Speaker 1: big carbon footprint, it's bad. Oh yeah, yeah, I mean 95 00:05:28,716 --> 00:05:30,716 Speaker 1: we did a lot of trucking of the fuel in there. 96 00:05:31,436 --> 00:05:33,636 Speaker 1: That's how we really, like, you know, haul a generator 97 00:05:33,676 --> 00:05:35,116 Speaker 1: in and we're like, oh, well we can haul a 98 00:05:35,156 --> 00:05:38,796 Speaker 1: fuel in. And are these are these mostly sort of 99 00:05:39,476 --> 00:05:42,116 Speaker 1: kind of industrial settings? I mean, is it like mining 100 00:05:42,196 --> 00:05:44,116 Speaker 1: and that sort of thing, or like what are the 101 00:05:44,156 --> 00:05:48,036 Speaker 1: places that need it. Some were industrial, some were mines. 102 00:05:48,116 --> 00:05:50,036 Speaker 1: There was a few mines in the Yukon and a 103 00:05:50,036 --> 00:05:53,916 Speaker 1: lot of them though we're residential, like just First Nations 104 00:05:54,516 --> 00:05:58,596 Speaker 1: reserves up in Canada or other normal cities, so like 105 00:05:58,796 --> 00:06:02,356 Speaker 1: Native American reservations we would call them in the US. Yeah, okay, yeah, 106 00:06:02,356 --> 00:06:04,716 Speaker 1: that's what you would call them. Yeah, Native American reservations. 107 00:06:04,836 --> 00:06:07,276 Speaker 1: So you're shifting your business now. You're going from being 108 00:06:07,356 --> 00:06:11,436 Speaker 1: just trucker's basically people moving stuff for a fee, to 109 00:06:11,836 --> 00:06:14,076 Speaker 1: being sort of you're in the you're in the power 110 00:06:14,156 --> 00:06:17,636 Speaker 1: business now for these remote settings, Is that right? Yeah? Yeah, 111 00:06:17,796 --> 00:06:19,636 Speaker 1: I guess we were. If you didn't know, it's a 112 00:06:19,636 --> 00:06:21,796 Speaker 1: good way to put it. Yeah, I guess we were. 113 00:06:22,036 --> 00:06:26,236 Speaker 1: I still thought of ourselves as probably right, you're probably right, okay. Yeah. 114 00:06:26,236 --> 00:06:30,796 Speaker 1: So we did our first big hybrid system installed. How 115 00:06:30,836 --> 00:06:33,356 Speaker 1: it must be about four years ago now, and it 116 00:06:33,396 --> 00:06:37,116 Speaker 1: was this community way up northern BC rate on the 117 00:06:37,156 --> 00:06:40,356 Speaker 1: Yukon border. And what we did is they had a 118 00:06:40,516 --> 00:06:44,236 Speaker 1: huge peak power load, so everybody would get home from 119 00:06:44,276 --> 00:06:47,436 Speaker 1: work at five o'clock, everyone comes home, everyone turns onto 120 00:06:47,476 --> 00:06:49,356 Speaker 1: the power. Where we see it in our national grid, 121 00:06:49,756 --> 00:06:52,596 Speaker 1: huge peak power demands at like five o'clock if everyone 122 00:06:52,596 --> 00:06:54,836 Speaker 1: gets home. Well, they had that. So what they had 123 00:06:54,956 --> 00:06:56,556 Speaker 1: is the old way of doing it is that you 124 00:06:56,556 --> 00:06:59,836 Speaker 1: would size a generator to meet that peak power load, 125 00:06:59,876 --> 00:07:02,516 Speaker 1: to have that power demand when you needed it. So 126 00:07:02,556 --> 00:07:06,556 Speaker 1: they had a ninety five kilowatt generator running. But what 127 00:07:06,596 --> 00:07:09,156 Speaker 1: we did is we went in, we start installed a 128 00:07:09,276 --> 00:07:12,876 Speaker 1: large battery bank, a bunch of solar, and then we 129 00:07:12,996 --> 00:07:16,396 Speaker 1: downsize that generator to thirty five because that battery bank 130 00:07:16,716 --> 00:07:19,716 Speaker 1: met that peak power to mat And you had a 131 00:07:19,796 --> 00:07:23,396 Speaker 1: lot of people there their whole lives, they've grown up there, 132 00:07:23,396 --> 00:07:26,996 Speaker 1: they've listened to these diesel generators always running in the background. 133 00:07:27,396 --> 00:07:29,276 Speaker 1: For the first time in some of their lives, their 134 00:07:29,316 --> 00:07:31,956 Speaker 1: little village in the mountains has been quiet, no sound. 135 00:07:32,036 --> 00:07:36,236 Speaker 1: That's nice. That's a nice detail. So okay, So there's 136 00:07:36,276 --> 00:07:39,476 Speaker 1: a town that had a giant diesel generator and you 137 00:07:39,876 --> 00:07:43,316 Speaker 1: got them set up with solar panels and batteries and 138 00:07:43,356 --> 00:07:46,796 Speaker 1: a much smaller generator that could charge the batteries when 139 00:07:46,836 --> 00:07:50,796 Speaker 1: the solar power wasn't enough. That's right, yep, Okay, So 140 00:07:51,196 --> 00:07:53,516 Speaker 1: keep going. I'm waiting for the big moment. We are. 141 00:07:53,516 --> 00:07:55,996 Speaker 1: We at the big moment. It's coming soon. There's no 142 00:07:56,036 --> 00:07:59,636 Speaker 1: big moments in business, no fair. That's a very business 143 00:07:59,756 --> 00:08:01,996 Speaker 1: is made of a lot of little moments that add 144 00:08:02,076 --> 00:08:04,276 Speaker 1: up to a big moments. There's always a little tiny 145 00:08:04,276 --> 00:08:07,676 Speaker 1: steps forward, steps back. It's a store good story is 146 00:08:07,716 --> 00:08:09,916 Speaker 1: a lot of little steps. That is very wise point, 147 00:08:10,076 --> 00:08:12,476 Speaker 1: very very fair. So what's the next little moment? The 148 00:08:12,836 --> 00:08:15,716 Speaker 1: next little moment is one day we were looking at 149 00:08:15,756 --> 00:08:18,116 Speaker 1: all these diesel light towers and we thought, well, why 150 00:08:18,116 --> 00:08:21,716 Speaker 1: do we make those solar? So on a napkin, I 151 00:08:21,796 --> 00:08:26,156 Speaker 1: sketched out this little solar light tower and Caterpillar loved that. 152 00:08:26,396 --> 00:08:30,116 Speaker 1: Finning loved that they turned that into one hundred percent solar. 153 00:08:30,156 --> 00:08:32,516 Speaker 1: So rather than running a diesel generator on site with 154 00:08:32,556 --> 00:08:35,316 Speaker 1: all the emissions and noise pollution and having to pay 155 00:08:35,356 --> 00:08:38,796 Speaker 1: for fuel, we now have made one hundred percent solar 156 00:08:38,836 --> 00:08:41,396 Speaker 1: one that we designed that works up in northern Canada. 157 00:08:41,436 --> 00:08:46,076 Speaker 1: And then that started as a manufacturing and in between 158 00:08:46,116 --> 00:08:48,796 Speaker 1: that I was just driving logging trucks doing solar like. 159 00:08:48,796 --> 00:08:51,636 Speaker 1: The solar installed was going really smoothly, so I actually 160 00:08:51,836 --> 00:08:55,716 Speaker 1: transferred back into hauling logs for a while. Finally we 161 00:08:55,796 --> 00:08:58,796 Speaker 1: had this kind of aha moment when we did a project, 162 00:08:59,636 --> 00:09:03,476 Speaker 1: and we were sitting there thinking that a semitruck is 163 00:09:03,516 --> 00:09:07,196 Speaker 1: a lot like these little diesel powered communities. It's got 164 00:09:07,196 --> 00:09:10,276 Speaker 1: a huge peak load, so it takes a lot of 165 00:09:10,356 --> 00:09:13,796 Speaker 1: power to get that weight moving, Like to build that 166 00:09:13,876 --> 00:09:17,316 Speaker 1: initial inertia takes a lot. Once you're at speed, it 167 00:09:17,396 --> 00:09:20,556 Speaker 1: takes very little to maintain that momentum. So that moment 168 00:09:20,556 --> 00:09:22,956 Speaker 1: when you're getting the truck going, it's like the moment 169 00:09:22,956 --> 00:09:25,556 Speaker 1: when everybody comes home from work and turns on all 170 00:09:25,556 --> 00:09:28,716 Speaker 1: their appliances. It's just this moment of peak demand that's 171 00:09:28,796 --> 00:09:31,756 Speaker 1: way higher than the kind of baseline. That's right, It's 172 00:09:31,796 --> 00:09:33,956 Speaker 1: exactly like that when you think of the truck like 173 00:09:33,996 --> 00:09:37,596 Speaker 1: an off grid power system. So we thought about it 174 00:09:37,676 --> 00:09:43,636 Speaker 1: and well, why don't we just optimize the trucks patteries 175 00:09:43,636 --> 00:09:46,196 Speaker 1: the same way. And this is what electric can do. Like, 176 00:09:46,636 --> 00:09:49,436 Speaker 1: we're at the point where all the electric technology for 177 00:09:49,476 --> 00:09:52,196 Speaker 1: trucks is there, the electric drive motors, the batteries, the 178 00:09:52,236 --> 00:09:56,916 Speaker 1: electric control gears. Well, why don't we make this efficient 179 00:09:57,156 --> 00:09:59,316 Speaker 1: and run this like a freight train. Freight trains have 180 00:09:59,396 --> 00:10:02,356 Speaker 1: been diesel electric and they move tons of weight because 181 00:10:02,356 --> 00:10:05,156 Speaker 1: the electric motors have tons of torque, tons of power 182 00:10:05,516 --> 00:10:10,196 Speaker 1: super efficient. You have regenerative breaking to capture energy slowing down. 183 00:10:10,556 --> 00:10:13,756 Speaker 1: When we built our prototype, we were finding like fifty 184 00:10:13,836 --> 00:10:17,596 Speaker 1: sixty percent fuel savings on these log and trucks. So 185 00:10:17,996 --> 00:10:21,156 Speaker 1: and can you plug it in or no? Yep, okay, 186 00:10:21,156 --> 00:10:23,476 Speaker 1: oh yeah, yeah, no, we plug it in in the evening. 187 00:10:23,516 --> 00:10:25,396 Speaker 1: So you pull up next to the house and pull 188 00:10:25,396 --> 00:10:27,596 Speaker 1: it up next to the shop and plug it in 189 00:10:27,636 --> 00:10:30,036 Speaker 1: and it just charges. So you always start your day 190 00:10:30,036 --> 00:10:32,156 Speaker 1: with one hundred percent battery and you get about two 191 00:10:32,196 --> 00:10:34,476 Speaker 1: hours of driving out of this thing, and then the 192 00:10:34,516 --> 00:10:37,396 Speaker 1: diesel generator turns on, runs for about half an hour, 193 00:10:37,516 --> 00:10:40,516 Speaker 1: shuts back off. You'd get another hour or two hours 194 00:10:40,516 --> 00:10:42,756 Speaker 1: of driving, and then it runs for another half hour. 195 00:10:43,236 --> 00:10:46,876 Speaker 1: So is it right that part of your thesis in 196 00:10:46,996 --> 00:10:50,556 Speaker 1: building this diesel charger is that a purely electric truck 197 00:10:50,716 --> 00:10:54,836 Speaker 1: just won't be able to carry enough enough batteries, enough 198 00:10:54,836 --> 00:10:57,516 Speaker 1: battery power to do the kind of work that these 199 00:10:57,516 --> 00:10:59,876 Speaker 1: trucks need to do. That was one of the issues 200 00:10:59,956 --> 00:11:04,356 Speaker 1: is that electric trucks for eighty percent eighty five percent 201 00:11:04,396 --> 00:11:07,836 Speaker 1: of the trucking industry will not work and probably won't 202 00:11:07,836 --> 00:11:12,396 Speaker 1: work until batteries and charging infrastructure massively improves but we're 203 00:11:12,476 --> 00:11:14,956 Speaker 1: looking at twenty thirty years until we can get to 204 00:11:14,996 --> 00:11:18,076 Speaker 1: that point. But going diesel electric is kind of that 205 00:11:18,156 --> 00:11:21,996 Speaker 1: best of both worlds. Oh, I can recharge the batteries. Like, yeah, 206 00:11:22,036 --> 00:11:24,916 Speaker 1: you're not going to eliminate diesel, but you're going to 207 00:11:25,036 --> 00:11:27,556 Speaker 1: massively reduce the amount of diesel you need. It's a 208 00:11:27,596 --> 00:11:30,276 Speaker 1: step in the right direction. So okay, So that's the 209 00:11:30,276 --> 00:11:36,756 Speaker 1: basic idea. It seems like it would be super hard 210 00:11:36,916 --> 00:11:40,476 Speaker 1: and capital intensive to turn that into a business, much 211 00:11:40,476 --> 00:11:43,956 Speaker 1: harder than buying one ten thousand dollars logging truck in 212 00:11:43,956 --> 00:11:47,756 Speaker 1: a field and driving it for fun and profit. It 213 00:11:47,876 --> 00:11:51,316 Speaker 1: was hard. Yeah, that's you're right, that's not an easy 214 00:11:51,356 --> 00:11:55,476 Speaker 1: thing to do. But thank god we kind of went 215 00:11:55,676 --> 00:12:00,356 Speaker 1: viral if a company can go viral, and it's been 216 00:12:00,396 --> 00:12:03,116 Speaker 1: one of those things that's really helped. You're you're big 217 00:12:03,156 --> 00:12:05,756 Speaker 1: on TikTok, which I would not have guessed. Tell me 218 00:12:05,836 --> 00:12:09,036 Speaker 1: about your life in TikTok and how that helped. Well, 219 00:12:09,556 --> 00:12:12,196 Speaker 1: it was when when I was still hauling logs. One 220 00:12:12,276 --> 00:12:14,356 Speaker 1: of the guys that used to work with us, an 221 00:12:14,356 --> 00:12:17,356 Speaker 1: older guy and you know, late fifties, early sixties, was 222 00:12:17,396 --> 00:12:20,516 Speaker 1: that kept making TikTok videos and I'm like, I'm okay, 223 00:12:20,516 --> 00:12:23,116 Speaker 1: I better download TikTok and see what the hell Shane's 224 00:12:23,156 --> 00:12:26,916 Speaker 1: posting about me. And I probably scrolled TikTok for like 225 00:12:26,956 --> 00:12:30,036 Speaker 1: six months before I even made a video. And then 226 00:12:30,076 --> 00:12:32,916 Speaker 1: I first made a truck video and it just went 227 00:12:33,036 --> 00:12:36,476 Speaker 1: really big, and then I started making more videos. Was 228 00:12:36,516 --> 00:12:38,476 Speaker 1: it What was the first one that went big? I 229 00:12:38,516 --> 00:12:41,036 Speaker 1: think I was shifting gears and dancing. I think it 230 00:12:41,156 --> 00:12:43,996 Speaker 1: was one of those ten fifteen seconds dancing tiktoks. But 231 00:12:44,036 --> 00:12:46,596 Speaker 1: I was doing like a trucker version of the dance whatever. 232 00:12:47,396 --> 00:12:51,196 Speaker 1: It was dorky. And then yeah, when I announced that 233 00:12:51,196 --> 00:12:55,236 Speaker 1: we were doing Edison, it all of a sudden took 234 00:12:55,276 --> 00:12:58,676 Speaker 1: off millions and millions of views. We had our own page, 235 00:12:58,676 --> 00:13:01,716 Speaker 1: we had a little crowdfunding, and I'm like, okay, well 236 00:13:01,716 --> 00:13:06,596 Speaker 1: we'll crowd fund this first build. And within five days 237 00:13:06,716 --> 00:13:08,996 Speaker 1: we had raised almost half a million dollars and closed 238 00:13:08,996 --> 00:13:12,116 Speaker 1: the crowdfunding out off of just this one TikTok. So 239 00:13:12,236 --> 00:13:15,876 Speaker 1: that's amazing. Half a million dollars is a lot of money. 240 00:13:16,316 --> 00:13:20,236 Speaker 1: But when I think of starting a truck company, it's 241 00:13:20,316 --> 00:13:23,556 Speaker 1: not even It's many orders of magnitude away, right, And 242 00:13:24,076 --> 00:13:26,316 Speaker 1: this is partly because the way you were starting a 243 00:13:26,356 --> 00:13:28,836 Speaker 1: truck company is different than what I would have thought of. Right, 244 00:13:28,836 --> 00:13:31,916 Speaker 1: you're not building a factory to mass produced trucks, right, 245 00:13:31,916 --> 00:13:33,516 Speaker 1: tell me, tell me about the way you're doing. No, 246 00:13:33,636 --> 00:13:36,436 Speaker 1: we're starting with a very common sense approach. Let's build 247 00:13:36,436 --> 00:13:39,196 Speaker 1: one prototype, and let's raising up money to build one 248 00:13:39,276 --> 00:13:42,556 Speaker 1: prototype to make sure that our idea is valid. Let's 249 00:13:42,556 --> 00:13:44,716 Speaker 1: take it in a truck, will retro fit it with 250 00:13:44,756 --> 00:13:47,836 Speaker 1: a diesel motor. We'll connect the control systems that we design, 251 00:13:48,876 --> 00:13:50,756 Speaker 1: and we'll just we'll try it out. We'll see how 252 00:13:50,756 --> 00:13:53,076 Speaker 1: it works. And we did that, and we built the 253 00:13:53,076 --> 00:13:55,916 Speaker 1: truck and did it work? Oh? Yeah, yeah, no, it 254 00:13:55,956 --> 00:14:01,716 Speaker 1: worked great, lots of good power, great acceleration. There was 255 00:14:01,756 --> 00:14:03,356 Speaker 1: a few little things that we needed to go back 256 00:14:03,396 --> 00:14:06,156 Speaker 1: to the drawing board. I did not like the drive 257 00:14:06,236 --> 00:14:08,836 Speaker 1: line system. We snapped the drive line a couple of 258 00:14:08,876 --> 00:14:11,796 Speaker 1: times trying to do some heavy stuff and then trying 259 00:14:11,796 --> 00:14:15,196 Speaker 1: to drag race the truck. Is that the way you 260 00:14:15,196 --> 00:14:18,556 Speaker 1: stress test a truck is all hall bunch of logs, 261 00:14:18,636 --> 00:14:22,556 Speaker 1: a ball and b drag race it. Apparently? Yes, yes, 262 00:14:22,716 --> 00:14:25,676 Speaker 1: I let I let another truck driver in town. Real 263 00:14:25,716 --> 00:14:27,476 Speaker 1: good truck driver. And we were letting all the truck 264 00:14:27,516 --> 00:14:29,796 Speaker 1: drivers come out and try it, and I'm like, all right, 265 00:14:29,916 --> 00:14:32,716 Speaker 1: Jim like give her, just give her the beans, and 266 00:14:32,836 --> 00:14:36,276 Speaker 1: he throttled into it and ping rain. We're like, okay, 267 00:14:36,276 --> 00:14:40,876 Speaker 1: I guess that ends the testing for today. That ping, 268 00:14:41,396 --> 00:14:44,756 Speaker 1: that was a key part of the truck breaking. So 269 00:14:44,956 --> 00:14:47,676 Speaker 1: they tried a different part. So I'm called an exel 270 00:14:47,876 --> 00:14:51,756 Speaker 1: that's designed to be used with electric vehicles. The exel worked, 271 00:14:52,476 --> 00:14:56,276 Speaker 1: no more pings. Just to zoom out for a quick 272 00:14:56,316 --> 00:14:58,756 Speaker 1: set here, I want to just highlight a thing Chase 273 00:14:58,836 --> 00:15:02,796 Speaker 1: said a minute ago, that idea that sure, electric trucks 274 00:15:02,796 --> 00:15:06,356 Speaker 1: sound great, but for lots of uses, full on electric 275 00:15:06,396 --> 00:15:09,156 Speaker 1: trucks just aren't there yet, right, And so I I 276 00:15:09,236 --> 00:15:13,276 Speaker 1: really like the sort of practical incrementalism of his approach, 277 00:15:13,436 --> 00:15:16,196 Speaker 1: this sort of let's build what we can build now 278 00:15:16,596 --> 00:15:19,276 Speaker 1: because it's better than the existing thing, even if it 279 00:15:19,316 --> 00:15:22,756 Speaker 1: isn't perfect. Still to come on the show today, how 280 00:15:22,876 --> 00:15:25,356 Speaker 1: Chase built his company on top of an old law 281 00:15:25,556 --> 00:15:36,556 Speaker 1: from the Cold War. Now back to the show, And 282 00:15:36,676 --> 00:15:38,636 Speaker 1: just to be clear, when you talk about building a truck, 283 00:15:38,676 --> 00:15:41,876 Speaker 1: I mean you're not like machining all the parts from 284 00:15:41,916 --> 00:15:45,836 Speaker 1: scratch or something. Right, No, that is our biggest saving grace. 285 00:15:45,876 --> 00:15:47,916 Speaker 1: We looked at these things and what a truck company 286 00:15:48,036 --> 00:15:52,316 Speaker 1: is now. We realized really quickly that we couldn't afford 287 00:15:52,396 --> 00:15:54,356 Speaker 1: to compete if we had to make all our own 288 00:15:54,396 --> 00:15:56,996 Speaker 1: parts like Tesla, And we realized a lot of people 289 00:15:57,036 --> 00:15:59,476 Speaker 1: don't want to buy custom parts. So we went to 290 00:15:59,596 --> 00:16:01,636 Speaker 1: the parts that trucks have been using for the last 291 00:16:01,676 --> 00:16:06,036 Speaker 1: fifty sixty years, those common core parts, and we use 292 00:16:06,116 --> 00:16:08,356 Speaker 1: the simple off the shelf. We actually had a great 293 00:16:08,396 --> 00:16:13,076 Speaker 1: partnership with CBS Fleet Break. These trucks supply stores sat 294 00:16:13,116 --> 00:16:16,276 Speaker 1: down with their parts experts and we said, what parts 295 00:16:16,316 --> 00:16:19,396 Speaker 1: do you always have in stock? What are you finding 296 00:16:19,436 --> 00:16:22,196 Speaker 1: out that the people aren't complaining about that aren't breaking 297 00:16:22,236 --> 00:16:24,596 Speaker 1: Give us your most reliable parts that you always have 298 00:16:24,716 --> 00:16:27,556 Speaker 1: in stock. And then our team and mechanics worked with 299 00:16:27,596 --> 00:16:31,556 Speaker 1: our few engineers and they said, well, let's just part 300 00:16:31,676 --> 00:16:34,116 Speaker 1: putting these parts on. Let's pick those parts that we 301 00:16:34,116 --> 00:16:36,076 Speaker 1: can grab off the shelf. And you know how much 302 00:16:36,156 --> 00:16:39,116 Speaker 1: time and money that saves you in development cost. It's 303 00:16:39,116 --> 00:16:41,916 Speaker 1: going to save our customers money, it's going to save downtime, 304 00:16:42,036 --> 00:16:45,756 Speaker 1: and it got us into production. We're now starting on 305 00:16:45,796 --> 00:16:48,756 Speaker 1: our product first production truck already in just a year 306 00:16:48,756 --> 00:16:50,636 Speaker 1: and a half of starting the company. When you talk 307 00:16:50,676 --> 00:16:53,916 Speaker 1: about going to sort of trucking parts stores and using 308 00:16:53,956 --> 00:16:56,076 Speaker 1: parts that have been around for decades, I mean, I 309 00:16:56,076 --> 00:16:58,876 Speaker 1: wouldn't it makes sense at a certain level. I would 310 00:16:58,916 --> 00:17:00,916 Speaker 1: never have thought of it. Like it's almost like you're 311 00:17:00,916 --> 00:17:02,836 Speaker 1: building the trucks from the parts that are just sort 312 00:17:02,836 --> 00:17:06,676 Speaker 1: of around, like from spare parts or something. I mean, 313 00:17:07,196 --> 00:17:08,956 Speaker 1: how much of the truck can you build that way? 314 00:17:09,116 --> 00:17:11,396 Speaker 1: And you build a whole truck that way? You can 315 00:17:11,436 --> 00:17:13,796 Speaker 1: pretty well, except for some of like the high voltage 316 00:17:13,796 --> 00:17:18,556 Speaker 1: controls and the elect specific parts trucks have shared for 317 00:17:18,596 --> 00:17:22,196 Speaker 1: the last forty years. Of very common core parts. You 318 00:17:22,236 --> 00:17:24,956 Speaker 1: can take a break pot, a type thirty break pot 319 00:17:24,996 --> 00:17:27,996 Speaker 1: off a nineteen fifty five Kenworth, and that's the same 320 00:17:28,076 --> 00:17:30,716 Speaker 1: type thirty break pot that's still on a twenty twenty 321 00:17:30,716 --> 00:17:34,276 Speaker 1: three freight liner. Turn signal on my sixty two Kenworth 322 00:17:34,356 --> 00:17:36,756 Speaker 1: is the same turn signal that Western Star used up 323 00:17:36,796 --> 00:17:38,556 Speaker 1: until like two thousand and seven. Like a lot of 324 00:17:38,596 --> 00:17:41,036 Speaker 1: the parts were just all the same. Why is that, 325 00:17:41,116 --> 00:17:44,036 Speaker 1: Like that's not true for cars at all? Right? It 326 00:17:44,116 --> 00:17:47,876 Speaker 1: has a lot to do with the US defense Procurement 327 00:17:47,916 --> 00:17:51,996 Speaker 1: Act of nineteen fifty four O US Defense Procurement Act. Okay, 328 00:17:52,196 --> 00:17:54,836 Speaker 1: go on, I believe that's what it called. It's something 329 00:17:54,876 --> 00:18:00,156 Speaker 1: along those lines, but it's basically the US, NATO and 330 00:18:00,236 --> 00:18:02,556 Speaker 1: these places. They were worried about the Russians, sure, and 331 00:18:02,636 --> 00:18:04,636 Speaker 1: they saw what we did to Germany was we bomb 332 00:18:04,716 --> 00:18:06,716 Speaker 1: the hell out of their factories in World War two. 333 00:18:06,796 --> 00:18:10,076 Speaker 1: In World War two, okay, yeah, and they realized like, well, 334 00:18:10,116 --> 00:18:12,196 Speaker 1: if the Soviets attack us, the first thing they're gonna 335 00:18:12,236 --> 00:18:16,436 Speaker 1: do is hit our factories. Well, trucks are so vital 336 00:18:16,796 --> 00:18:19,956 Speaker 1: to the defense industry and just people surviving. If you 337 00:18:19,996 --> 00:18:22,196 Speaker 1: run out of trucks, you run out of food in cities. 338 00:18:22,436 --> 00:18:24,596 Speaker 1: And they thought like, well, okay, well they'll hit Detroit. 339 00:18:24,836 --> 00:18:27,036 Speaker 1: We need to be able to figure this out. So 340 00:18:27,396 --> 00:18:29,556 Speaker 1: they started making all the parts the same. So did 341 00:18:29,556 --> 00:18:32,276 Speaker 1: the government sort of put out a set of specifications 342 00:18:32,276 --> 00:18:35,316 Speaker 1: and said, whatever, the turn signal has to look like this. 343 00:18:35,516 --> 00:18:38,476 Speaker 1: I mean it was it something like that. That's exactly 344 00:18:38,476 --> 00:18:41,356 Speaker 1: what they did. It was right down to even the 345 00:18:42,276 --> 00:18:45,236 Speaker 1: shift knobs. The shift knobs are all the same in 346 00:18:45,276 --> 00:18:48,396 Speaker 1: color coded on trucks. If you have a fifteen speed, 347 00:18:48,556 --> 00:18:52,036 Speaker 1: it'll have a blue button for your thumb. Thirteen speed 348 00:18:52,036 --> 00:18:54,316 Speaker 1: will have a red, eighteen speed will have a gray 349 00:18:54,356 --> 00:18:58,916 Speaker 1: And it's the same across Europe. It's the same across Australia. 350 00:18:58,956 --> 00:19:01,636 Speaker 1: Like you op into an Australian truck and you look 351 00:19:01,636 --> 00:19:03,556 Speaker 1: at your shift knob, even on a brand new truck, 352 00:19:03,596 --> 00:19:05,796 Speaker 1: if it's gray, you know, you can split the bottom 353 00:19:05,796 --> 00:19:07,756 Speaker 1: and top end so that the drivers could ship Like 354 00:19:08,116 --> 00:19:11,476 Speaker 1: that is how can and standardized. We had trucks for 355 00:19:11,516 --> 00:19:14,836 Speaker 1: eighty years or sixty years. That is amazing And it's 356 00:19:14,836 --> 00:19:18,276 Speaker 1: really interesting to think about that, right, Like the thing 357 00:19:18,316 --> 00:19:20,916 Speaker 1: about sort of the economic implications of that and the 358 00:19:20,956 --> 00:19:24,716 Speaker 1: technological implications of it, right, Like, I mean, on the 359 00:19:24,756 --> 00:19:26,596 Speaker 1: one hand, it seems like it would be really bad 360 00:19:26,636 --> 00:19:29,476 Speaker 1: for innovation, right Like if somebody came up with a 361 00:19:29,476 --> 00:19:32,836 Speaker 1: better way to make a part, they kind of wouldn't 362 00:19:32,836 --> 00:19:34,996 Speaker 1: be able to do it, right. That seems like a 363 00:19:35,156 --> 00:19:38,676 Speaker 1: downside of it. On the other hand, you can always 364 00:19:38,676 --> 00:19:40,916 Speaker 1: get spare parts and the company isn't going to gouge 365 00:19:40,916 --> 00:19:43,156 Speaker 1: you if the turn signal breaks because you could buy 366 00:19:43,156 --> 00:19:45,196 Speaker 1: somebody else's turn signal. I mean, are those the basic 367 00:19:45,236 --> 00:19:47,876 Speaker 1: trade offs? Am I thinking about it? Right? Yeah? That's 368 00:19:47,956 --> 00:19:51,956 Speaker 1: probably about right, So they relax these laws in the eighties. 369 00:19:52,516 --> 00:19:55,556 Speaker 1: What innovation have we really seen in trucks? Well, I 370 00:19:55,556 --> 00:19:57,716 Speaker 1: don't know anything about trucks, So you tell me what 371 00:19:57,796 --> 00:20:00,596 Speaker 1: innovation have we seen in trucks? Well, we still have 372 00:20:00,636 --> 00:20:04,516 Speaker 1: a turn signal, but nowadays, you know, that turn signal 373 00:20:04,556 --> 00:20:07,556 Speaker 1: for my old sixties is about forty bucks on Amazon. 374 00:20:07,796 --> 00:20:09,356 Speaker 1: I can just order it. They still have it, Like 375 00:20:09,396 --> 00:20:11,996 Speaker 1: all the parts are there, forty dollars. Now you want 376 00:20:11,996 --> 00:20:13,956 Speaker 1: to turn signal for a brand new truck, it's five 377 00:20:14,036 --> 00:20:17,956 Speaker 1: hundred dollars. So are you the rare, you know, founder 378 00:20:18,196 --> 00:20:21,596 Speaker 1: entrepreneur making the case for a kind of government top 379 00:20:21,676 --> 00:20:28,556 Speaker 1: down regulation of like all detailed specifications. Oh god, am I? 380 00:20:28,716 --> 00:20:31,796 Speaker 1: Maybe I am? Kids Like, you know what, if that's 381 00:20:31,836 --> 00:20:34,796 Speaker 1: what it's, that's what it takes. Why not have a 382 00:20:34,796 --> 00:20:37,116 Speaker 1: little bit of regulation in here. We do need something. 383 00:20:37,676 --> 00:20:40,316 Speaker 1: It's not a pure free market we exist in anymore. 384 00:20:40,636 --> 00:20:43,876 Speaker 1: It's very much a more of a do I say, 385 00:20:43,956 --> 00:20:48,996 Speaker 1: chrony capitalism system. But there's only a few big truck 386 00:20:49,036 --> 00:20:51,116 Speaker 1: suppliers like you look at some of the big brands 387 00:20:51,156 --> 00:20:54,916 Speaker 1: are all owned by other large brands. Maybe we need 388 00:20:54,996 --> 00:20:57,996 Speaker 1: something in there to protect the owner operators of key 389 00:20:58,316 --> 00:21:02,476 Speaker 1: vital industries. That look what happened just with China during 390 00:21:02,516 --> 00:21:06,636 Speaker 1: COVID and it wasn't even malicious, but there was the 391 00:21:06,676 --> 00:21:10,276 Speaker 1: computer chip shortage. You couldn't even and buy new trucks, 392 00:21:10,316 --> 00:21:12,916 Speaker 1: they couldn't put them off the assembly line, that you 393 00:21:12,916 --> 00:21:16,156 Speaker 1: couldn't repair trucks, like the price of trucks went crazy. 394 00:21:16,476 --> 00:21:19,156 Speaker 1: And that was just from a few month interruption in 395 00:21:19,156 --> 00:21:21,756 Speaker 1: the global supply chain. Imagine what would happen if a 396 00:21:21,836 --> 00:21:24,716 Speaker 1: war broke out with China. What would happen to our 397 00:21:24,756 --> 00:21:27,516 Speaker 1: trucking industry overnight? If it was some economic war, it 398 00:21:27,556 --> 00:21:29,516 Speaker 1: doesn't even have to be a full on hot war. 399 00:21:29,556 --> 00:21:31,396 Speaker 1: But if we had another Cold war with China where 400 00:21:31,436 --> 00:21:34,636 Speaker 1: they stopped supplying us, we would lose our ability to 401 00:21:34,796 --> 00:21:38,396 Speaker 1: move anything in North America. So when you decide to 402 00:21:38,436 --> 00:21:42,156 Speaker 1: try and build a prototype, you decide you're going to 403 00:21:42,276 --> 00:21:44,916 Speaker 1: go back, You're going to basically draw on this sort 404 00:21:44,916 --> 00:21:50,516 Speaker 1: of reservoir of interchangeable parts from this Cold war policy, 405 00:21:50,756 --> 00:21:53,516 Speaker 1: and you kind of build your truck out of those parts. Yeah, 406 00:21:53,556 --> 00:21:57,076 Speaker 1: that's exactly what we did. So okay, so you got 407 00:21:57,116 --> 00:22:02,276 Speaker 1: your prototype, like is it around now? Is it like out? Back. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 408 00:22:02,756 --> 00:22:04,556 Speaker 1: we parked here for the wintertime. We got a lot 409 00:22:04,556 --> 00:22:06,716 Speaker 1: of snow here. We only took it out one a 410 00:22:06,756 --> 00:22:08,916 Speaker 1: couple of days, like when it was minus thirty five 411 00:22:09,236 --> 00:22:10,516 Speaker 1: to see how it did in the winter. But other 412 00:22:10,556 --> 00:22:13,836 Speaker 1: than that, we parked it and we're now just building 413 00:22:13,836 --> 00:22:16,876 Speaker 1: the new production truck. So okay, So right, so you 414 00:22:16,916 --> 00:22:20,756 Speaker 1: did the prototype. It worked, I mean, then did you 415 00:22:21,396 --> 00:22:23,516 Speaker 1: would just tell me about the financing? Did you raise 416 00:22:24,156 --> 00:22:26,116 Speaker 1: You must have raised more money to go into production. 417 00:22:26,996 --> 00:22:31,156 Speaker 1: We did. We did another round of crowdfunding and same 418 00:22:31,156 --> 00:22:34,236 Speaker 1: thing again. Within five days we had raised one point 419 00:22:34,276 --> 00:22:36,916 Speaker 1: five million dollars, which is more than enough to build 420 00:22:36,956 --> 00:22:40,636 Speaker 1: the first production truck. We're calling out the production prototype, 421 00:22:40,676 --> 00:22:43,716 Speaker 1: and we've settled on four or five really good first 422 00:22:43,756 --> 00:22:46,556 Speaker 1: trial customers that are going to be financing the first 423 00:22:46,556 --> 00:22:49,116 Speaker 1: few truck builds. So and when do you think the 424 00:22:49,196 --> 00:22:52,876 Speaker 1: first you know, truck driver is gonna drive your truck 425 00:22:52,916 --> 00:22:55,756 Speaker 1: to go get a bunch of logs. I'm hoping by 426 00:22:55,756 --> 00:22:59,436 Speaker 1: the end of this summer. Okay, So what what do 427 00:22:59,476 --> 00:23:02,196 Speaker 1: you have to figure out between now and then? I mean, 428 00:23:02,356 --> 00:23:04,716 Speaker 1: I know you made a prototype, but what do you 429 00:23:04,716 --> 00:23:06,916 Speaker 1: have to solve to actually have your trucks out in 430 00:23:06,916 --> 00:23:09,436 Speaker 1: the world. Well, sell them to these first customers. We'll 431 00:23:09,436 --> 00:23:12,716 Speaker 1: get that real world feedback. We'll figure out. It's kind 432 00:23:12,716 --> 00:23:15,116 Speaker 1: of that old way of engineering. But let's put it 433 00:23:15,116 --> 00:23:17,196 Speaker 1: out in the field. Let's see what works, let's see 434 00:23:17,236 --> 00:23:19,756 Speaker 1: what breaks, let's bring it back in, let's change the 435 00:23:19,756 --> 00:23:22,316 Speaker 1: parts to break, let's improve it, and then let's go 436 00:23:22,356 --> 00:23:24,996 Speaker 1: into the general public. I mean in terms of the 437 00:23:25,036 --> 00:23:27,556 Speaker 1: maintenance space. I know you said you use, you know, 438 00:23:27,596 --> 00:23:32,436 Speaker 1: as many sort of core, old cheap parts on your 439 00:23:32,476 --> 00:23:37,556 Speaker 1: trucks as possible, but you know clearly it's not all old, core, 440 00:23:37,676 --> 00:23:41,076 Speaker 1: cheap parts. You're doing new things. Is that going to 441 00:23:41,196 --> 00:23:43,476 Speaker 1: be a challenge for the people who buy the truck, 442 00:23:43,556 --> 00:23:48,676 Speaker 1: Like getting that part of the truck maintained, It'll be 443 00:23:48,716 --> 00:23:51,636 Speaker 1: a little bit different on that part. So we designed 444 00:23:51,676 --> 00:23:55,476 Speaker 1: a lot of these, and we had some brilliant electrical engineers, 445 00:23:56,116 --> 00:23:59,676 Speaker 1: and we took electrical parts that were common for the 446 00:23:59,916 --> 00:24:03,756 Speaker 1: high voltage world, people working in like power plants, and 447 00:24:04,556 --> 00:24:07,156 Speaker 1: so you almost need like a mill electrician, like a 448 00:24:07,236 --> 00:24:09,676 Speaker 1: sawmill that has all these electric motors are a mine. 449 00:24:09,876 --> 00:24:12,796 Speaker 1: Has those people that can service those electric motors. That 450 00:24:12,836 --> 00:24:15,916 Speaker 1: makes sense. It does seem like in this sort of 451 00:24:15,956 --> 00:24:18,276 Speaker 1: period of transition, or just when your trucks are new 452 00:24:18,316 --> 00:24:19,876 Speaker 1: and there's only three of them in the world or 453 00:24:19,916 --> 00:24:21,116 Speaker 1: ten of them in the world, or a hundred of 454 00:24:21,156 --> 00:24:23,916 Speaker 1: them in the world, Like, it'll be hard for the 455 00:24:23,956 --> 00:24:26,076 Speaker 1: person driving that truck to figure out how to get 456 00:24:26,076 --> 00:24:28,476 Speaker 1: it fixed, right, Like, it's not obvious how to solve 457 00:24:28,516 --> 00:24:30,436 Speaker 1: that piece of it, even if there is some industrial 458 00:24:30,436 --> 00:24:33,436 Speaker 1: electrician who would know, Like figuring out who that person 459 00:24:33,556 --> 00:24:36,756 Speaker 1: is and getting them to fix the truck seems hard, No, 460 00:24:36,996 --> 00:24:39,316 Speaker 1: So we took advantage and we partnered up with some 461 00:24:39,476 --> 00:24:43,116 Speaker 1: universities and we bring a lot of summer students now 462 00:24:43,156 --> 00:24:46,316 Speaker 1: in for the summer, like heavy duty mechanics summer students 463 00:24:46,316 --> 00:24:49,516 Speaker 1: that are in their second third year apprenticeship. And what 464 00:24:49,556 --> 00:24:51,636 Speaker 1: we do is we've been training them up as part 465 00:24:51,636 --> 00:24:54,436 Speaker 1: of their coop education, paying them in wage they learn. 466 00:24:54,596 --> 00:24:57,236 Speaker 1: They work on these trucks in the summer. And now 467 00:24:57,276 --> 00:24:59,636 Speaker 1: these few companies that want to buy our trucks, they're 468 00:24:59,716 --> 00:25:02,076 Speaker 1: larger fleets, and they said the same thing, how are 469 00:25:02,076 --> 00:25:04,476 Speaker 1: we going to maintain these and like, rather than just 470 00:25:04,556 --> 00:25:07,676 Speaker 1: always coming back to our shop, we're gonna send you 471 00:25:07,796 --> 00:25:11,236 Speaker 1: this guy. These people's contact information, so you can hire 472 00:25:11,636 --> 00:25:14,436 Speaker 1: a diesel mechanic that already has a knowledge of how 473 00:25:14,476 --> 00:25:18,036 Speaker 1: these trucks work because they helped build the trucks. So 474 00:25:18,676 --> 00:25:20,876 Speaker 1: that was our way around it. When you look sort 475 00:25:20,916 --> 00:25:23,036 Speaker 1: of from here on out, whatever for the next year, 476 00:25:23,596 --> 00:25:25,356 Speaker 1: next six months, all the things you got to do, 477 00:25:26,076 --> 00:25:28,596 Speaker 1: what are you particularly worried about? Like what at this 478 00:25:28,716 --> 00:25:30,876 Speaker 1: point are you worried? They are you know, trying to 479 00:25:30,916 --> 00:25:35,196 Speaker 1: solve actually find a facility to build these trucks. Where 480 00:25:35,196 --> 00:25:38,036 Speaker 1: are you building them now? We're building them up in 481 00:25:38,116 --> 00:25:41,796 Speaker 1: a temporary shop, so I couldn't get city permitting to 482 00:25:41,796 --> 00:25:45,116 Speaker 1: build a shop where we're at, and my house is 483 00:25:45,196 --> 00:25:46,956 Speaker 1: kind of up a little bit of a logging road 484 00:25:47,036 --> 00:25:49,476 Speaker 1: about fifteen minutes out of side of town. So we're 485 00:25:50,036 --> 00:25:53,396 Speaker 1: building them illegally because I can't. I'm technically not zoned 486 00:25:53,476 --> 00:25:56,916 Speaker 1: to manufacture run any kind of industry. So right now 487 00:25:56,956 --> 00:25:59,276 Speaker 1: we're building them as any trucks as we can before 488 00:25:59,276 --> 00:26:01,716 Speaker 1: the government finds out that we're building trucks where we're 489 00:26:01,716 --> 00:26:05,556 Speaker 1: building them. So the stressful part is now finding a place. 490 00:26:05,636 --> 00:26:08,396 Speaker 1: And our town had a massive flood about a year ago. 491 00:26:08,876 --> 00:26:12,676 Speaker 1: We lost like twenty percent of our houses. It wiped 492 00:26:12,716 --> 00:26:17,196 Speaker 1: out the entire industrial district. There's no land available, and 493 00:26:17,236 --> 00:26:19,516 Speaker 1: I want to own the land. We have the money, 494 00:26:19,556 --> 00:26:21,196 Speaker 1: we have it, like, we got things in place to 495 00:26:21,196 --> 00:26:24,036 Speaker 1: be able to do this, but there's just nothing available. 496 00:26:24,156 --> 00:26:26,676 Speaker 1: So you're telling me that you want to have trucks 497 00:26:26,756 --> 00:26:30,596 Speaker 1: on the road in oh, six eight months, and you 498 00:26:30,596 --> 00:26:32,876 Speaker 1: don't have anywhere to build them right now. We have 499 00:26:32,996 --> 00:26:38,756 Speaker 1: a spot just nowhere to legally build. If anyone asks 500 00:26:38,796 --> 00:26:41,956 Speaker 1: our shop is for agricultural use, we could build a 501 00:26:41,996 --> 00:26:45,076 Speaker 1: big shop for agricultural use. And then they're like, well, 502 00:26:45,076 --> 00:26:47,956 Speaker 1: what are you using it for? But like storing my 503 00:26:48,076 --> 00:26:50,836 Speaker 1: classic truck collection and they come out and they look 504 00:26:50,836 --> 00:26:52,596 Speaker 1: at the classic trucks and they're like, oh, yeah, I 505 00:26:52,596 --> 00:26:55,356 Speaker 1: guess you do restore classic trucks. Yeah. No, it's just 506 00:26:55,396 --> 00:26:58,556 Speaker 1: a hobby. So we're on that zoning rate now. And 507 00:26:58,716 --> 00:27:01,236 Speaker 1: where where is it? Where do you live? Where do 508 00:27:01,276 --> 00:27:05,196 Speaker 1: you live? I feel like I definitely shouldn't say that now. Fair, okay, fair, 509 00:27:05,956 --> 00:27:08,916 Speaker 1: let's let's let's but it's small town in the middle 510 00:27:08,916 --> 00:27:11,716 Speaker 1: of the middle of BC in Canada, a small town 511 00:27:11,996 --> 00:27:14,796 Speaker 1: in British Columbia. We'll merrit British Columbia. That that's as 512 00:27:14,836 --> 00:27:17,036 Speaker 1: much as we can. We should say. We'll leave it there. 513 00:27:19,636 --> 00:27:21,356 Speaker 1: We'll be back in a minute with the lightning round, 514 00:27:21,596 --> 00:27:35,156 Speaker 1: including questions about trucking and TikTok. That's the end of 515 00:27:35,156 --> 00:27:37,676 Speaker 1: the ads. Now we're going back to the show. So 516 00:27:37,836 --> 00:27:40,516 Speaker 1: I do want to close with just sort of a 517 00:27:40,596 --> 00:27:44,756 Speaker 1: lightning round, a bunch of questions, mostly fun. Yeah, what's 518 00:27:44,756 --> 00:27:48,916 Speaker 1: one secret to succeeding on TikTok? Just be real and 519 00:27:48,996 --> 00:27:53,636 Speaker 1: be yourself? People like the genuine connection. Is it right 520 00:27:53,636 --> 00:27:56,036 Speaker 1: that you were in the army? I was, Yeah, Yeah, 521 00:27:56,076 --> 00:27:58,956 Speaker 1: I was in the reserves. What's something you learned in 522 00:27:59,076 --> 00:28:02,796 Speaker 1: the army reserves that I was not good in the army? Fair? 523 00:28:03,636 --> 00:28:07,716 Speaker 1: What's one thing you learned studying economics that's useful, actually 524 00:28:07,796 --> 00:28:11,556 Speaker 1: useful in running a business. The best thing is cause 525 00:28:11,636 --> 00:28:14,956 Speaker 1: and effect. You see a lot of things in economics 526 00:28:15,076 --> 00:28:18,956 Speaker 1: where it's you know, if this happens, this will move 527 00:28:18,996 --> 00:28:21,556 Speaker 1: the supply curve lefter or right. If the supply curve 528 00:28:21,596 --> 00:28:23,916 Speaker 1: and this industry moves left or right, it affects the 529 00:28:23,956 --> 00:28:26,796 Speaker 1: price this way, which is going to increase the input 530 00:28:26,836 --> 00:28:30,396 Speaker 1: costs of this other good. That's like ninety percent of 531 00:28:30,476 --> 00:28:33,276 Speaker 1: your first few years of economics. That's not the heavy 532 00:28:33,316 --> 00:28:37,956 Speaker 1: math based is learning that causation, what happens if certain 533 00:28:38,076 --> 00:28:42,356 Speaker 1: things in business change. It lets you strategize. You listen 534 00:28:42,396 --> 00:28:45,996 Speaker 1: to music when you drive a truck? Oh yeah, I'll 535 00:28:46,036 --> 00:28:48,356 Speaker 1: be honest, listen to music about ten percent. The other 536 00:28:48,436 --> 00:28:51,556 Speaker 1: ninety percent was audiobooks and podcasts. Okay. My main thing 537 00:28:51,676 --> 00:28:55,476 Speaker 1: is like I like to learn new things and truck driving. 538 00:28:55,516 --> 00:28:58,956 Speaker 1: It's one of those careers where I really really recommend 539 00:28:58,956 --> 00:29:02,476 Speaker 1: to any young person because you have all day to 540 00:29:02,516 --> 00:29:04,636 Speaker 1: sit there and learn as much as you want. What 541 00:29:04,836 --> 00:29:08,396 Speaker 1: other job affords you the opportunity to go deep into 542 00:29:08,436 --> 00:29:10,676 Speaker 1: whatever kind of passion that you have and learn as 543 00:29:10,756 --> 00:29:18,156 Speaker 1: much as you can about it. Chase Barber is the 544 00:29:18,196 --> 00:29:21,516 Speaker 1: co founder and CEO of Edison Motors. I first heard 545 00:29:21,596 --> 00:29:25,716 Speaker 1: him interviewed on the podcast Odd Lots Good Show. Today's 546 00:29:25,756 --> 00:29:29,356 Speaker 1: episode was produced by Edith Russolo, edited by Robert Smith 547 00:29:29,356 --> 00:29:33,196 Speaker 1: and Sarah Nix, and engineered by Amanda ka Wa. I'm 548 00:29:33,276 --> 00:29:35,796 Speaker 1: Jacob Goldstein. I am not on TikTok, but I am 549 00:29:35,876 --> 00:29:39,076 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Jacob Goldstein. You can also email us 550 00:29:39,156 --> 00:29:43,036 Speaker 1: at problem at pushkin dot FM. We'll be back next 551 00:29:43,036 --> 00:29:44,676 Speaker 1: week with another episode. Of the show