Spark Charge Bridging the Gap Between Black Communities, Electric Vehicles

By Alyssa Wilson Published: November 2, 2021

Spark Charge Bridging the Gap Between Black Communities, Electric Vehicles

Spark Charge CEO Josh Aviv. (Photo Credit: Spark Charge)

In Summary

The CEO of Spark Charge spoke with BNC about how he's working to give Black people access to electric cars and clean tech jobs.

Spark Charge is on a mission to create the world’s first mobile intelligent and on-demand electric vehicle charging network.

At the end of 2020, the United States saw a little more than 1.3 million electric vehicles on the roads. While studies show Black and Brown communities want to transition to electric cars to reduce noise and pollution, accessibility to charging stations makes it nearly impossible.

BNC spoke to Spark Charge CEO Josh Aviv about the company’s plans. “We believe that mobile charging is the future,” Aviv said. “We believe that it’s more convenient. It’s more cost-effective. It really tears down a lot of barriers to owning an electric vehicle, and it helps communities thrive.”

Spark Charge recently launched a subscription service named Currently which allows electric vehicle owners to select how much range they want, where they want it and get it delivered with the push of a button.

Aviv took his idea and secured $1 million of capital from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner to help get his startup get off the ground. He’s grateful because the road to success hasn’t always been easy.

“You think about it, we have so few Black CEOs in clean tech,” he said. “It’s definitely a problem and I don’t think it’s for lack of ideations or the lack that you know African American and minority CEOs don’t have great ideas. I think it’s a big thing that they are really. Those ideas aren’t being pushed to the forefront.”

Aviv wants to make sure people like him aren’t just represented in the boardroom and among electric vehicle owners. He cites minority and underrepresented communities as “charging deserts.”

Aviv said Spark Charge is building a better future for us all and for clean air in our communities. The initiatives aren’t just about environmental impact but also about creating clean jobs.

“We believe that if you’re going to enter a community and serve a community, you should hire in that community as well,” he said. “We’re on track to deliver close to 100,000 miles to electric vehicle owners this year.”

Spark Charge services are currently available in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and Dallas, Texas, with plans to expand to more cities in the coming months.