TWO young men from the Mornington Peninsula have made a spectacular entrance into the electric vehicle market, armed with nothing but a bright idea, a modest amount of savings and a lot of faith.
Twenty-four-year olds Toby Batters-Holding and Daniel Henry, who became friends while students at Western Port Secondary College, have launched a mobile EV charging business that has attracted interest from media around the country.
Before taking their idea to the market, Henry, an electrician, and Batters-Holding, a boiler maker, spent 12 months learning about the EV industry. Although they did not own EVs themselves, they knew enough to see there was a gap in the market when it came to giving EV owners easy access to charging. “We could see there are not enough charging stations and had heard many stories of car owners being stranded, so we knew there was a need for a charger that comes to you, wherever you are,” Henry said.
The entrepreneurial and hard-working friends poured their life savings into getting two purpose-built mobile charging vehicles and, after just four weeks of operation, are already starting to reap the rewards. The have now started a subscription service to expand the business and better service clients.
“It’s been crazy, we have had interest from people all over the country and we see potential to provide a service to the fleet industry and the mining industry where EVs are becoming popular,” Henry said. “We are already looking at expanding the fleet … it’s not something we can do just yet, but I see that is where we are heading as we become more established.”
Apart from enthusiasm and a willingness to work hard, the young business owners share an interest in green technology and a cleaner future. “It’s good to know we are doing something that’s part of the move to a greener car industry,” Henry said.
First published in the Mornington News – 2nd April 2024
