Field Frequency

Replacing Speculation With Logic: Real-Time EV Site Modeling with James Tillman

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2533760/fan_mail/new] Most EV charging projects don't fail in the field — they fail months earlier, during pre-development, when assumptions stand in for realities. Timelines stretch, capital burns, and roughly 40% of projects get cancelled before construction even begins. In this episode, Jason sits down with James Tillman, co-founder and CEO of EVLogic, a platform that lets developers, EPCs, A&E firms, and as-a-service providers design, engineer, and price EV charging sites in real time — with every stakeholder on the same call. James has lived this problem from every angle: utility programs at Reliant/NRG, network deployment at EVgo, and EPC execution at Brighten Energy. Now he's building the tool he wishes he'd had for the last 15 years. In this conversation: — Why pre-development is the real bottleneck in EV infrastructure — The "fail early, fail fast" philosophy and how it protects everyone in the value chain — The truth behind the "$7,200 DC fast charger install" myth — Why DC fast charging grew 30% year-over-year — and why that's still only a third of what the market needs — The under-the-radar opportunity in off-lease used EVs — Hotels, multifamily, and fleet — the segments quietly driving deployment in a "down" market — Founding a company in a down cycle: what's harder, what's secretly easier Whether you're a CPO, developer, EPC, fleet operator, or project finance team, this conversation will sharpen how you think about deploying EV charging infrastructure. Field Frequency is powered by Field Advantage — an IT field services company specializing in the deployment, maintenance, and operation of critical infrastructure, including EV charging networks.

Acquire, Convert, Retain: Rewiring Go-To-Market in the Energy Space

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2533760/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Field Frequency, powered by Field Advantage and hosted by Jason Cortes, we sit down with Jonathan Colbert, founder of Fractal, to explore how companies in energy, mobility, and electrification are rethinking growth. As the industry shifts away from “growth at all costs,” Jonathan shares how disciplined go-to-market strategies, aligned teams, and sustainable business models are becoming essential for long-term success. From his experience at Mercedes-Benz and Rivian to launching Fractal, Jonathan brings a unique perspective on what it takes to scale effectively in today’s market. Key Topics Covered * The shift from rapid growth to capital-efficient scaling * What a broken go-to-market strategy looks like * Why companies often misdiagnose growth challenges * The importance of aligning product, marketing, and sales * Lessons from traditional industries like automotive and fuel infrastructure * How AI and emerging tools are changing how companies build * The rise of fractional leadership and the future of work Key Takeaways * Growth problems are often system problems, not just sales or marketing gaps * Strong go-to-market alignment is critical for scaling efficiently * Customer insight should drive product and strategy decisions * Building unnecessary tools can slow growth and create complexity * Sustainable companies focus on long-term operational health, not just speed Notable Insights * “Growth at all costs is gone—discipline and sustainability matter more than ever.” * “If things feel harder than they should, the issue may be upstream in your system.” * “If it doesn’t help you acquire, convert, or retain customers, reconsider building it.” Learn More * Fractal: scalewithfractal.com * Connect with Jonathan Colbert on LinkedIn About Field Frequency Field Frequency explores the people, technology, and strategies shaping the future of field service, EV infrastructure, and connected systems—bringing real-world insight from leaders across the industry. If you want, I can also spin this into Spotify/Apple Podcasts descriptions, social promos, or email newsletter blurbs. Jonathan Colbert Bio  Most growth-stage companies don’t have a go-to-market problem—they have a systems problem. They may have traction, strong teams, and a product the market wants, but the approaches that drive early success rarely scale. Jonathan Colbert founded Fractal Fractional Leadership to address this gap, embedding with leadership teams to build repeatable, connected go-to-market systems across sales, marketing, product, revenue operations, and customer experience. He brings over a decade of experience across electrification and mobility, including leadership roles at Voltera, Rivian, and Mercedes-Benz USA, where he led charging and infrastructure strategy for North America. His career has focused on turning complex, early-stage opportunities into scalable commercial systems. Based in Florida, he holds an MBA from Georgia Tech and a BS from Florida State. Outside of work, he spends most of his time with his wife and two young children.

Electrifying Freight & Fleets: How Einride Is Re-Architecting The Industry

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2533760/fan_mail/new] Charging infrastructure is expensive. Fleets can't pause while the technology matures. And every kilowatt-hour has to compete with diesel on a dollars-per-mile basis. So how do you actually electrify heavy-duty freight without bolting on a green premium? On this episode of Field Frequency, Jason is joined by Sean Ackley, VP of Energy & Infrastructure, and Josie-Dee Li, Product Director of Energy & Infrastructure at Einride — a freight tech company tying together electric trucks, autonomous vehicles, energy infrastructure, and a digital ecosystem called Saga. In this conversation: * Sean and Josie-Dee's paths through e-mobility, utilities, smart home, and EV charging * The origin and operational role of Einride's cabless autonomous eBot * Why an autonomous future has to be an electric future * The four cost pillars of delivering electric fuel — land, hardware, O&M, and go-to-market — and how each one impacts TCO * How Saga blends route planning, charging reservations, state-of-charge tracking, and dynamic routing into one pane of glass * Three charging models: private depots, third-party hubs, and Einride-managed sites with co-located solar and storage * Energy arbitrage, wholesale capacity offtake, and monetizing electrons back to the grid * Real proof that mixed electric/diesel fleets can hit — and even beat — diesel TCO parity * What MCS charging, bigger batteries, and on-the-go fueling unlock for the next wave of adoption Whether you run a fleet, build charging infrastructure, or work anywhere in freight tech, this is a grounded look at the economics, execution, and digital tooling behind heavy-duty electrification today. Connect Learn more about Einride: einride.tech Find Sean Ackley and Josie-Dee Li on LinkedIn Field Frequency is powered by Field Advantage — an IT field services company specializing in deployment, maintenance, and operation of critical infrastructure, including EV charging networks. Learn more at fieldadvantage.com. Produced and edited by Autozy — autozy.co

Some EV Chargers Work, Others Kill Trust: Carter Li on EV Charging Maturity

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2533760/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Field Frequency, Carter Li, CEO of SWITCH, shares his journey into the EV industry and dives into the challenges and evolution of EV charging infrastructure. From reliability and uptime to industry accountability and future growth, this conversation explores what it will take to mature the EV charging experience and build driver trust. Show Notes: * Carter Li’s origin story and the founding of SWITCH * The challenge of EV charging in multifamily housing * Growth of Switch to 20,000+ charging ports across North America * Different EV charging business models (CPO, software, ownership structures) * Customer experience gaps between EV charging and traditional fueling * The role of real-time data tools like PlugShare and Google Maps * Why uptime metrics can be misleading and how to define true reliability * Accountability in the EV ecosystem: CPOs, OEMs, and service providers * Operational challenges and the importance of maintenance (O&M) * Hardware evolution and the importance of iteration in charger design * Industry growing pains and the shift toward maturity * The need for collaboration, transparency, and shared data * Market outlook: consolidation, scalability, and sustainable business models * Why the next wave of EV adoption depends on better first impressions

The EV Reset: John Voelcker on What Works, What Doesn’t, and What Comes Next

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2533760/fan_mail/new] The EV market isn't collapsing — it's resetting. In this episode of Field Frequency, automotive journalist and Car and Driver contributing editor John Voelcker breaks down what the so-called EV pullback actually means, why full-size electric pickups were a product planning misstep, and what it's going to take to get affordable EVs into the hands of everyday buyers. John brings over 15 years of dedicated EV coverage — including 4,800+ articles as founding editor of Green Car Reports — and pulls no punches on where the industry got it right, where it got it wrong, and what comes next. We dig into why profitability (not ideology) has to drive EV strategy, how Ford and GM are quietly rethinking their entire EV platforms, why the charging experience still isn't being explained to buyers, and whether convenience stores — not dedicated charging networks — might be the ones to finally normalize public charging. If you follow the EV space, this conversation will challenge some assumptions. In this episode: 00:00 — Intro 00:47 — John's path into automotive journalism 06:54 — What "EV pullback" actually means 11:23 — Profitability vs. ideology: why OEMs are resetting 15:18 — Cheaper EVs are coming — Ford, GM, and Slate 24:04 — Why full-size EV pickups missed the mark 29:13 — The state of public charging and consumer education 35:08 — Convenience stores and "Charging 2.0" 39:58 — Direct-to-consumer vs. the franchise dealer model 43:18 — Where to find John's work Connect with John Voelcker: LinkedIn: Search "John Voelcker" Bluesky: @johnvoelcker Side project: Tempting Fate Tours (YouTube) About Field Frequency: Field Frequency is powered by Field Advantage, an IT field services company specializing in the deployment, maintenance, and operation of critical infrastructure, including EV charging networks.