Less Talk, More Action

How To Add EV Charging With NO Costly Grid Upgrade


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In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen talk with John Reister, Founder and CEO of GoPowerEV, about why EV charging in multifamily buildings is so challenging and how his company is addressing it. They cover the complexity of utilities, permitting, electrical capacity upgrades, and tenant conflict, and explain how personal space chargers, smart energy management, and a turnkey model for landlords can avoid expensive service upgrades while keeping chargers highly reliable. John also shares how this infrastructure is evolving into a virtual power plant that can eventually use bidirectional EVs to support the grid and potentially let drivers charge at very low or no net cost, underscoring that economics and convenience, not ideology, will ultimately drive mass EV and clean tech adoption.

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

  • Welcome to Today’s Episode (0:59)
  • Bureaucracy, Ford vs Ferrari, and Big-Company Speed (3:11)  
  • Joel’s AI Story and Legacy Firms Blocking New Tools (3:57)  
  • Introducing John and GoPowerEV’s Focus on Multifamily (5:57)  
  • Turnkey EV Charging Offering for Property Owners (7:14)  
  • Why Multifamily EV Charging Is So Hard (10:11)  
  • Shared Chargers, “Musical Chairs,” and Tenant Conflict (11:38)  
  • Hardware Design, Uptime, and Modular Scalability (15:34)  
  • Hybrid Level 1/Level 2 and App-Based Energy Management (17:17)  
  • Dynamic Load Management and Avoiding Service Upgrades (21:41)  
  • John’s Background and Why He Tackled This Problem (28:07)  
  • Surveys, Convenience, and EV Access for Renters (33:07)  
  • Virtual Power Plants and Using EVs to Support the Grid (36:21)  
  • Utility Metering Model and Owner/Tenant Economics (38:55)  
  • How EVs Can Offset New Grid Loads Like Data Centers (42:39)  
  • Clean Tech Economics vs Old Narratives and Lobbies (45:02)  
  • Closing Thoughts, Optimism, and How to Find GoPowerEV (49:31)  

The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com.


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Less Talk, More ActionBy Joel Cesare & Owen Barrett