The California Mobility Center is bringing together innovators in clean technology, and two of its newest additions say the opportunity to work with other industry leaders was too good to pass up.
Paso Robles-based Pearce Renewables recently signed on as a member of the center. As a leading national provider of renewable energy, the company said it is partnering with the center to optimize opportunities across technology, decarbonization, commercialization and innovation.
“For us, it was simply a no-brainer. The CMC is a platform that brings like-minded, passionate individuals together to try and solve the issues of the EV industry,” said Kyle Williams, head of EV services for Pearce Renewables.
Williams told the Business Journal the company plans to share its knowledge of operating and maintaining renewable energy infrastructure with other participants, and also look to what others are working on to benefit their own operations.
“One thing I’ve learned about renewable energy is that no one player is going to solve the issues. It’s really going to take cohesion of passionate teams of involved individuals. That’s the core value we saw in the CMC, as well as its relationship with government, which I think will have a massive role to play in this,” Williams said.
One of the California Mobility Center’s goals is to make the Sacramento region an innovative hub in the global development of transportation technologies and manufacturing through its research center and prototype development lab.
“The CMC is a commercialization collaborative built around this ecosystem comprised of early-stage companies trying to bring mobility solutions and ideas to market,” said Mark Rawson, chief operating officer for the center.
The center has four companies that have committed to being clients — the latest being Oak Park, Michigan-based manufacturer Bollinger Motors Inc. — and upwards of 25 members, who are industry leaders with a vested interest in advanced mobility and California commercialization.
“If the state is going to make its goals around climate change and with transportation deployment of zero-emission vehicles, we need to help these companies get their products to market faster, so this is an exciting time for us,” Rawson said.
Bollinger is developing Class 3 all-electric vehicles for both consumer and commercial applications. CEO Robert Bollinger said with California being the biggest domestic market for EVs, the company wanted to ramp up its involvement with the major players in the industry. The company currently has one employee in California but plans to expand the team as it increases sales.
“All of us will be working with CMC looking to see how we can connect with other partners and members to help with infrastructure, manufacturing, technology and all of the above,” he said. “For a startup like ours, we are going to need a lot of support so that’s why we are excited to join CMC’s community.”
The CMC opened in March in 25,000 square feet of space at Depot Park in South Sacramento. The center offers companies access to space, tools and advisers to make their products, and allows participants early access to new transportation startups and developing technologies.