Introduction: The Journey Continues
For those who have not read part one, a quick summary; budding career, recession, redundancy, difficulties, depression, daughter, recovery, opportunity, fuck-it, successes, challenges, more successes, OVO, breathe.
So you can only assume that this part is going to be about further successes, growth, scaling, more sales, more partnerships, just more of everything, right? Or is it?
A Turning Point: The Unexpected Call
Now stepping back a little, in early 2017, we were initially in discussions with another energy company, who will remain nameless, but despite making an initial offer, they were very slow in progressing due diligence and starting the legal process, which started to give me some concerns about the agility of such a business or lack thereof and the effect that may have on ChargedEV.
But then, an unexpected call directly into our normal customer line, answered casually by one of our advisors, turned the tables. What started out as a potential partnership to install chargers on behalf of an energy retailer, soon opened up a deeper opportunity.
5 minutes later, we were talking on my mobile, in private, where throughout a 45-minute chat about our business and what we were looking to do, an informal offer was on the table from OVO.
Fast forward around 8 weeks and the transaction was complete, we were now part of the OVO Energy Group.
Everyone in the business that we engaged with was great, really open, and full of enthusiasm for what we could build together and the first few months were great. I met some amazingly talented people across the business, all of which were really engaging and just seemed to get it, they could see our potential and how well we could operate within OVO.
Then, one day, I was invited to London and taken for lunch.
Strategic Shifts: Adapting to New Alliances
Now, as I mentioned previously, my vision was for ChargedEV to become hardware agnostic, making us less reliant on our hardware partner at the time and utilising some of the exciting new products that were now on the market, such as EO and MyEnergi. I saw a real opportunity for ChargedEV to disrupt the top end of the market with EV OEMs and large lease companies to provide a truly Nationwide installation service, streamlined digital onboarding experience and a choice of hardware. After all, not everyone wants the same product and new entrants into the space were coming with some great USP’s.
Back to my lunch in London, I was sat down at a nice Fish & Chip restaurant, to be told that OVO Energy had signed a deal with Chargemaster, that would cover several collaborations between the businesses, and ChargedEV would be one of them.
OK, I thought, Chargemaster could be one of the products that we add to our lineup, and that could work.
But no, ChargedEV would have to exclusively install Chargemaster hardware across all of our customer base, domestic and workplace, gulp!
Now Chargemaster were OK, but the reality was that very few drivers were choosing their hardware, they were been given it as part of a deal with Nissan, Renault, or Mitsubishi. I immediately knew the scale of the challenge ahead of us.
Navigating Change: Transition and Challenge
We had 8 weeks to transition our business, clear down all existing stock and get ready for this change.
Up until this point we had built a great relationship with Rolec and I decided to drive to Boston to tell the MD of Rolec directly of the change, which at that point might have been the most uncomfortable drive I had ever made, but I felt it was the right thing to do, they had supported ChargedEV and our growth tremendously, and I will always be grateful for that.
So, how did it all work out? Well unfortunately our volumes dropped from organic enquiries quite drastically and the conversion rates from our partnerships also dropped to some degree, making the next 18 months a challenge to scale.
A New Opportunity: The Indra Breakthrough
Then along came Indra. Another business in the OVO Energy Group, which had manufactured the Smart+ EV charger, which ChargedEV helped launch. This gave us a smart, feature-rich product to take to the market and that did just the trick, almost immediately it became the charger of choice for our drivers and gave us a great uptick in our sales and installation volumes.
Summer of 2019 Indra was also starting their trial of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) chargers for the first time in the UK, and I had to have one installed, to the dismay of my Wife once she saw the size of it.
ChargedEV was now installing innovative trial projects such as the V2G trial, which meant we were constantly adding strings to our bow moving from strength to strength.
Pre-Pandemic Success: Growth and Expansion
The market was buoyant, our team was growing, we were having some great partnership conversations and opportunities were in abundance for ChargedEV.
OVO Energy had just secured the purchase of SSE Energy’s retail division making OVO the 2nd largest energy supplier in the UK, we were all looking forward to the next decade, 2020 and beyond looked to be roaring.
Then, on March 23rd 2020, following a few weeks of uncertainty across the UK and the World, the decision was made that all of the Field Operations across the OVO Energy Group would stand down, meaning ChargedEV had to pause its installation operations.
Covid-19 had arrived.
The Covid-19 Crisis: A Test of Resilience
Now clearly this was a stressful time for everyone, fear and uncertainty spread across the UK both about the virus itself and also about our livelihoods, our jobs, and our businesses.
We had to place our installers and 75% of our office teams on Furlough, this in itself was difficult. As a leader who has always prioritized the well-being and growth of our team, this move left me grappling with feelings of doubt and a sense of losing control – emotions I hadn't experienced in years.
We did the best we could in the situation to keep everyone connected, those who remained working and those on Furlough, online games and activities, and regular virtual catchups. However, there was still a huge amount of anxiety about the situation.
Come easter, I decided to get some cupcakes made for the whole team and personally drove them around to everyone's house when they woke up to show them that we care. It is small things like this, that can carry huge weight with the team.
The Heartbreaking Turn: A Crucial Meeting and Its Aftermath
Working alone in the office each day, I was slowly piecing together a plan for ChargedEV's resurgence post-pandemic. Just as I began to see a path forward, a sudden message called me into an important meeting. This meeting would unexpectedly turn the tide of our journey.
In this crucial meeting, I was hit with a wave of devastating news. OVO Energy, following their recent acquisition of SSE and amidst the turmoil of Covid-19, had made a strategic decision to refocus their efforts entirely on their core kWh business and the integration of the two energy brands. This meant a dire shift for ChargedEV – we were no longer part of their operational plan.
Hearing this news was like a punch to the gut. My heart broke, not just for the business I had nurtured but for the team that we had built. The realisation that ChargedEV, as we knew it under OVO, was coming to an end and it was overwhelming. It was a moment that brought back memories of earlier struggles and hardships, a reminder of how vulnerable even the most promising ventures can be.
The rest of that call was a bit of a blur, I didn’t take anything else in, and as soon as I came off that call, I cried for the first time since my lowest point almost 10 years earlier. Was this it? Was this the end of ChargedEV? What about the Friendships we had built? How am I going to tell 60+ people that they no longer have jobs?
Facing the Unthinkable: The Struggle of Redundancy and Personal Crisis
The news of the redundancies across the OVO Group was a heavy blow, with 2600 people facing job loss. This included many from our ChargedEV family. The magnitude of this decision weighed heavily on me. The pain of seeing so many colleagues and friends in uncertainty was profound.
I felt isolated in my distress, unable to share the burden with my family, including my wife, due to the sensitive nature of the situation and close family that worked within the business.
In the midst of this turmoil, OVO asked me to lead a new proposition for servicing EV charge point installations and exploring partnerships with chargepoint OEMs. This offer, while a sign of trust and opportunity, brought its own set of challenges. It underscored the reality that ChargedEV, as we knew it, was changing, and with it, my role and identity within the business.
The Rollercoaster of Emotions and Identity Crisis
The following weeks were a rollercoaster of emotions and productivity. One moment I was fervently mapping out plans and strategies for the future, and the next, I found myself overcome with despair, questioning my worth and identity. The question loomed large: “Who is Mark Pymm without ChargedEV?” My sense of self, so intertwined with the business, felt shaken. It was a journey back to the uncertainties of 2010, confronting fears of inadequacy and failure.
This period forced me to confront and re-evaluate what defines me, both as a professional and an individual. It was a time of introspection, understanding the fluidity of roles, and the essence of what truly makes us who we are beyond titles and positions.
A Day of Reckoning: The Announcement and Its Aftermath
May 19th, 2020, was a day marked in my calendar with a sense of foreboding. It was the day the news about ChargedEV's future under OVO would go public. A virtual call was arranged to communicate this to our team. While OVO offered to have one of their directors and HR lead the conversation, I knew this was a responsibility I had to shoulder myself. It was a matter of respect and duty to the team we had built together.
Addressing the entire team, and explaining the situation and its implications, was one of the most heart-wrenching experiences I've ever had. The array of emotions displayed on the screen – from shock and fear to sadness – mirrored my own internal turmoil. Keeping my composure was a battle, and as soon as the call ended, the weight of the moment overcame me.
Alone in my office, I allowed myself a moment of vulnerability, laid on my sofa, head in my hands, tears in my eyes, once again, I had failed.
A Surprising Show of Support
What happened next was unexpected and deeply moving. Messages started pouring in from the very people who had just had their world turned upside down. Their concern wasn’t for themselves but for me. Their kindness in such a tough time was overwhelming. It reinforced the bond we had built at ChargedEV and the mutual respect and care that defined our team.
This outpouring of support was the catalyst I needed. It strengthened my resolve to do whatever it took to save the core of ChargedEV and as many jobs as possible. I immediately set to work, devising a plan that included potential partnerships, new business avenues, and financial strategies to navigate the coming months. Working with Liam, our marketing expert, we started crafting a new brand identity, ready to start from the ground up if we needed to.
Choosing the Harder Right Over the Easier Wrong
The easy path would have been to stay within the safety of my role at OVO, security, and a pretty pay packet. But the right path – the one that honored our team's hard work and our shared vision – was to rebuild ChargedEV. This decision was not about personal gain but about loyalty, responsibility, and the drive to sustain what we had built together.
The Road to Redemption: Navigating a Path Forward
From May 19th to the end of July, my days were consumed with relentless negotiations and strategic discussions with OVO. The goal was clear: carve out a viable path for ChargedEV's future. These conversations were intense, involving intricate details about our exit strategy, potential contracts for future installations and maintenance, and the crucial question of retaining the ChargedEV brand.
The spirit of collaboration in these discussions was remarkable. All parties involved were open to ideas, receptive to suggestions, and committed to finding a solution. It was a process of steady progress, with each meeting bringing us closer to an agreement.
A New Dawn: ChargedEV Reborn
On August 3rd, 2020, our efforts bore fruit: ChargedEV was reborn. Charged Electric Vehicles Limited was officially in business again. This moment wasn't just a corporate restructuring – it was a revival of our spirit, mission, and community.
With the new company, we managed to rehire 16 members of our team, including 8 installers and 8 office staff. It was a leaner ChargedEV, but one brimming with determination and optimism. We immediately resumed installations and reconnected with our customer base, reigniting the passion and service that defined us.
Reflections on a Monumental Achievement: ChargedEV 2.0
As I look back on the incredible journey of resurrecting ChargedEV, my heart swells with an immense sense of pride and accomplishment. This wasn't just a business revival; it was a reaffirmation of our resilience, dedication, and the unyielding spirit of our team. Bringing ChargedEV back from the brink of dissolution to a thriving entity was akin to steering a ship through a storm and emerging into calm waters.
But this achievement wasn’t mine alone. It was a collective triumph, shared with some of the most talented and committed individuals I've had the privilege of working with. The ability to re-employ 16 of our core team members during such a challenging period wasn't just a business decision; it was a moral victory. Each of these individuals had played a pivotal role in shaping ChargedEV, and their return symbolized not just the revival of their roles but the rekindling of our shared vision and values.
A Testament to Collective Strength and Unity
The journey we undertook together, through the trials and tribulations, only served to strengthen our bond. It was a testament to our collective strength and unity, proving that together, we could overcome even the most daunting challenges. Each team member who rejoined us brought with them not just their skills and expertise but a renewed commitment and a shared sense of purpose. Their choice to return was a vote of confidence in our vision and a powerful motivator for me personally.
Beyond Business: A Journey of Personal Growth and Community Building
The process of rebuilding ChargedEV also reflected a journey of personal growth and community building. Seeing the team rally together, supporting each other, and passionately working towards a common goal was profoundly inspiring. It reinforced my belief in the power of leadership that prioritizes people and relationships. The pride I feel in what we accomplished extends far beyond business metrics; it lies in the strength of the community we rebuilt and the shared journey that brought us back together.