Listen to this articleRomeo Power is a leading-edge value technology company at the forefront of green energy technology. Here is our recent interview with Lionel Selwood, Jr. CEO of Romeo Power:
Q: What is your mission? How do you describe Romeo Power?
A: Our mission is to advance energy technology and our vision is to end energy poverty. We’re on track to dominate the commercial energy space thanks to our technology that enables commercial fleet managers to get hundreds of miles with thousand-pound loads under 100% electrification.
Q: Why is there a need in the EV industry for Romeo Power?
A: Why you need us in EV is to unlock electrification from a fad to a normal way of life. To a time in the future where ICE is no longer needed or quite frankly will cease to exist. So, that’s why you need Romeo Power. Our technology fits within any e-powertrain, any integrator, any OEM, any fleet manager. We go beyond the battery at Romeo Power and you need us, so electrification is a way of life.
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Q: What problems are you solving?
A: We solve the problem of safety, first and foremost, reliability, the amount of energy density that you can put in a pack and of course configurability. So, what we’re solving is our customers being able to put their EV solutions on road 18-24 months quicker than our competitors. Getting them comfortable with the technology and that way they have no compromises on ROI or profit for mile on longevity. From an end customer standpoint that’s what we’re really solving.
Q: What’s next for the company?
A: Next for our company you’ll see us over the next 5-10 years gaining significant market share in the commercial vehicle space. We are actively currently serving in adjacent industries such as mining, agriculture, and marine. So, you’ll see us really being successful in the commercial vehicle market as well as in adjacent markets and coming out with innovative products to continue the gap between us and our competitors.
To get more insights into Romeo’s technology we sat down with AK Srouji, CTO of Romeo Power:
Q: Can you give us more insights into Romeo’s technology?
A: Romeo develops and builds high voltage, high energy density advanced lithium ion battery systems, that enable cost effective electrification of vehicles across the most challenging market segments. Currently, the focal point is tackling electrification of commercial vehicles, from Class 1 to Class 8 trucks, including long-haul, buses, and refuse applications.
The battery technology achieves the highest energy density as a result of materials, design engineering, and manufacturing engineering innovations.
Q: Please tell us the one thing that separates your business from the competition?
A: The special attention and care we give to the commercial vehicle segment. The vehicles have unique requirements in view of their heavy-duty cycles and need for long life. We have therefore devised and demonstrated a commercial vehicle sensitive battery architecture and solution. It is dramatically enabling applications that had not been electrified before. Other companies try to sell batteries originally designed for consumer light vehicles, or golf cars, into the commercial vehicle segment and this typically leads to a very disappointed customer.
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Q: Can you tell us more about your previous experience?
A: I am trained in the science and arts of mechanical engineering and electrochemistry. My work focuses on systems employing chemical reactions that generate electricity to replace traditional combustion. My previous experience focused on the development and demonstration of advanced batteries including all-solid-state systems, as well as utilizing highly sophisticated battery models to enable safer battery utilization. Other areas of focus have been fuel cells, and flow batteries.
Q: What impact could Romeo Power’s technology have on the planet? (In terms of emissions saved, energy access, etc.)
A: Romeo Power seeks to end Energy Poverty which is the state of not having access to clean and renewable energy – and in some cases around the world no energy at all: We are currently solving the electrification challenge of large class commercial vehicles. These vehicles are the highest polluters (typically less than 6 miles per gallon on Diesel) and getting the Diesel incumbent off the road will contribute to cleaning our cities and interstates. This will immediately contribute to slowing down of the planet’s warming that has already taken effect and reduce amount of respiratory related health problems caused specifically by air pollution. In addition, our battery’s vehicle to grid capability, and second life programs, will support energy models that promote grid independence and resiliency through the increased utilization of solar and wind resources, which equates to liberation from the oil and gas mafia and its associated emissions. As we succeed and scale, we will re-invest in advancing the technology further and bringing cost down even more. After electrification of all on land vehicles, we will tackle marine and aviation, until the day where combustion is utilized for rocket flights only and nothing else as we know it today. In parallel the cost down of the technology to achieve affordability in developing nations will lead to accelerated economic growth in these regions, in the hopes of reducing economic gap across the globe. One can then truly speak of the electron democratization at a global scale and achieving our vision of Ending Energy Poverty.
