In this episode, host Jason Cortes sits down with Brad Crist, CEO and co-founder of ChargeMate, to explore how AI is transforming EV charging reliability. From real-world road trip frustrations to building an AI-driven support system that bridges the gap between drivers, operators, and field technicians, Brad shares how ChargeMate is redefining service intelligence in the EV space.

Show Notes:
The transition to electric vehicles depends on more than just chargers—it depends on reliable charging experiences. In this conversation, Jason and Brad unpack the challenges behind EV service workflows and the role AI plays in keeping chargers online and drivers confident.

Inside the Episode:

• Brad’s journey from environmental science to leading ChargeMate
• The catalyst moment that sparked ChargeMate’s founding
• Identifying the “service gap” between drivers and charge point operators
• How AI bridges driver-reported issues with actionable insights for service teams
• Smarter dispatching and avoiding unnecessary truck rolls
• Making raw charger data meaningful through context and automation
• Building serviceability by design: what CPOs and OEMs should ask about hardware
• Why “buy vs. build” matters when it comes to AI in charging operations
• The future of EV service intelligence and collaboration across the industry

Listen to learn:
 How ChargeMate is transforming EV charging from a reactive model to a proactive, intelligent, and human-centered experience—and what that means for CPOs, service providers, and drivers alike.

Inside The Episode:

• Origin story: Zak’s path from early EV enthusiasm (2016) to founding ChargeLab in 2020 and growing to tens of thousands of managed ports.
• Why “smart” matters: Moving beyond “amenity” chargers to networked, monetized stations with payments, load/energy management, and telemetry so sites can scale from 2 to 20+ ports without blowing the panel—or the budget.
• Operator value props: ChargeLab’s CSMS (charger management), seamless QR/Apple Pay activation, robust energy management, utility integrations, and fleet/multifamily/workplace/public use cases.
• Reliability realities: Why ~20% failed public sessions (historically) happened—connectivity, firmware/backend misalignment, OCPP implementation differences, and driver flow issues—and how the industry is maturing past Gen-1 pitfalls.
• AI in the loop (Spark): Proactive monitoring across billions of charger messages to:
  • Detect patterns that precede failures (e.g., connectivity drift, abnormal session drops).
  • Intervene before drivers are affected (safe, targeted remote reboots; tuned timeouts/configs).
  • Generate human-readable diagnostics for field techs to speed on-site fixes.
• Online vs. offline resilience: Designing for always-connected management while enabling offline authentication (RFID/credit card) with later settlement to reduce single-point failures.
• Tier-1 driver support (in-house): On-shore ChargeLab employees trained on EV charging, sitting near technical teams, improving first-time-driver success and protecting CPO revenue.
• Ops & partnerships: Clear escalation paths to hardware makers and field service partners (like Field Advantage); workflows that avoid unnecessary truck rolls while shortening true MTTR.
• Branding & buyer fit: Off-the-shelf for smaller sites vs. white-label apps, RFID, call flows, and UI for retailers/utilities building branded networks.
• The road ahead: Predictive maintenance, dynamic pricing, grid services, and raising the bar so today’s “good” becomes tomorrow’s minimum.

Jason Cortes welcomes Arcady Sosinov, CEO of Tritium, for a candid look at the company’s transformation. From early wins with the RT50 to the challenges of scaling globally, Arcady shares how Tritium restructured its service model, refreshed its product roadmap, and re‑centered around long‑term infrastructure reliability. Listeners will hear how Tritium is building trust back with measurable SLAs, follow‑the‑sun support, and a new flagship platform, Triflex.

Highlights

• Career path: From hedge funds to founding FreeWire Technologies, and now leading Tritium.
• Early impact: How the RT50 (ChargePoint CPE200) helped spark public fast charging adoption.
• Growing pains: Global expansion, the SPAC/NEVI era, and the hard lessons that followed.
• Tritium 2.0:
  • 24/7 support through a UK hub.
  • Transparent SLA reporting with fee refunds for misses.
  • A new Customer Success team driving regular business reviews.
• Product roadmap: Modular architecture, DC‑fed sites, and the upcoming Triflex platform designed for large, high‑density sites.
• Market view: Why subsidies can distort growth and why durable partnerships matter more.
• Future focus: Deep technical collaborations, cost‑per‑port efficiency, and scaling beyond 400 kW.

In this episode of Field Frequency, host Jason Cortes sits down with Jed Routh, VP of Markets and Products at Kempower North America, to explore what makes a DC fast charger last—and why so many don’t.

Jed shares his personal journey from Thomas Built Buses and Duke Energy into the EV space, offering a front-row perspective on how Kempower is translating its European success into the North American market.

They cover:

• Kempower’s modular DC architecture and why “more plugs” often beats “more power”
• Lessons learned from Europe’s mature EV landscape and how they apply in the U.S.
• Designing for uptime and serviceability—redundancy, swappable modules, and intelligent load sharing
• The realities of subsidies and funding programs like NEVI—when they help and when they hinder
• Customer experience from every angle: CPOs, site hosts, utilities, and EV drivers
• Why the fleet market may be the ultimate growth driver for DC fast charging in North America

It’s a candid look at reliability, design philosophy, and the operational challenges that outsiders often underestimate.

In this episode, host Jason Cortes sits down with Raymond McSpirit, founder of EV Recruitment and facilitator of EV sector M&A activity. Raymond brings a rare dual perspective on capital and talent, sharing his views on where the EV ecosystem is headed and what it takes to succeed in a turbulent market.

What We Cover:

• Raymond’s journey into the EV space and the founding of EV Recruitment
• Advice for students and early professionals trying to break into EV
• Why trade shows and in-person networking are the biggest untapped edge for job seekers
• The challenge of attracting and retaining top talent in a market facing hiring freezes, funding gaps, and fatigue
• A breakdown of the EV value chain—from OEMs to infrastructure providers to technology innovators
• The evolving role of CPOs (Charge Point Operators) and the hurdles they face in achieving profitability
• Why “not all money is good money” when it comes to capital, and how patient investors can make or break growth
• Trends in industry consolidation, creative deal structures, and new opportunities for companies positioning themselves strategically

Raymond also previews his work in M&A origination, supporting CPOs and investors with creative solutions to align capital, portfolios, and long-term growth.

In this episode of Field Frequency, host Jason Cortes sits down with Chris Kaiser, President of Plugin, for a candid look at the realities of operating EV charging sites.

Chris brings 20+ years of clean energy experience, including 5 years in EV charging, and shares how Plugin is helping retailers, QSRs, and C-stores transform charging from pilot projects into fully managed, profitable destinations.

They dive into:

• Why uptime and reliability remain the #1 challenge for CPOs.
• How overlooked costs (like cable replacements) can derail profitability.
• The role of utilities, site design, and early planning in building sustainable charging networks.
• Why standardization and institutional knowledge are critical for scale.
• What it will take for retail and convenience real estate to unlock true profitability in EV charging.

The punchline? Charging can be profitable—if it’s designed with intention.

 Whether you’re a site host, CPO, or just curious about the next phase of charging infrastructure, this conversation cuts through the hype and gets real about what works, what breaks, and what’s next.

In this episode, Jason Cortes sits down with Anup Parikh, founder of Pangea Charging, for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, personal brand, and the realities of building in the EV charging space.

From being laid off multiple times to launching his own company, Anup shares how those experiences shaped the ethos behind Pangea Charging and why trust and execution often matter more than hardware specs.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The journey from “layoffs to payoffs” and the origin story of Pangea Charging
• Why personal brand may be one of the most powerful assets in the EV industry
• The challenges of educating the market—and when education is a secret weapon vs. a sunk cost
• The nuanced debate between Level 2 vs. DC fast charging, and why L2 might be the overlooked backbone of adoption
• How trust, execution, and people—not just products—will determine the winners in EV infrastructure
• A sneak peek at Anup & Pangea Charging’s new 2026 initiative bringing 

Whether you’re in the trenches of EV infrastructure or just curious about how disruptive companies get built, this episode is packed with insight and real talk you won’t want to miss.

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