Electric Vehicles: How to start or transition to an EV career

October 31, 11:37 AMBay Area Green Careers ExaminerMichal Lenchner

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Bay Area Green Careers Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

In many of the Green events, conferences and networking functions I attend, people ask me how they can transition into the green economy; how they can capitalize on their current skill-set, experience and education to 'break' into the green industries.

If you are grappling with finding or growing into a green career you might be inspired by others, who were able to make the transition.

To learn from his path, I interviewed Jerry Pohorsky, the President of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Electric Auto Association (EAA), a volunteer position. He also serves as chair of the EAA Plug-in Hybrid Special Interest Group.

Mr. Pohorsky has an impressive background in the Electric Vehicles (EVs) field. He has been driving electric vehicles since 1999. He has bought, repaired and sold several electric vehicles and has advised to other electric vehicle enthusiasts. Mr. Pohorsky has written several articles for the EAA Current ‘Events’ monthly newsletter and served a 3 year term on the EAA Board of Directors. He also appeared briefly in the Sony Classics movie, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and delivered comments to the California Air Resources Board during their Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate Public Hearings in 2003.

He is currently employed as a senior test engineer at General Electric Security - Homeland Protection, Inc. in Newark, CA. Previously, Jerry worked as a test engineer at Sun Microsystems, Siemens Communications and IBM.

Jerry has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronic Engineering from Cal Poly State University (San Luis Obispo) and a Master's Degree in Computer Science from Santa Clara University.

“Having degrees in electronic engineering and computer science coupled with over 30 years of experience working for high tech Silicon Valley companies, have given me a good foundation for understanding the design and production of EVs, “ said Jerry.

Electric vehicles are not just a promise of the future. Electric cars are already on the roads today, where some are used as daily commuter cars while others are one-of-a-kind custom projects.

Jerry’s keen delight in EVs lead him to invest his time and skill in buying used EVs, repairing them and selling them. This has given Jerry valuable hands on experience. Jerry also researched EVs and has learned a great deal from various websites, by attending trade shows and in getting involved with the Electric Auto Association.

People have many misconceptions and lack of information when it comes to EVs. I asked Jerry to name a few: “One of the most annoying questions I get is how many miles per gallon do you get?” said Jerry. “I patiently explain that I don't use any gallons but I get up to 100 miles per charge.”

According to Jerry, another false impression is that the only electric vehicles are those cart-look-alike Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), which are capable of traveling at a maximum speed of 25mph. While there are thousands of NEVs on the roads, they tend to give all electric vehicles an inkling of slow unparalleled cars, which are dependent on frequent battery recharge. That is not the reality. Some electric vehicles, like Jerry’s Toyota RAV 4 EV, drive like an ordinary car, travel freeway speeds, and do not require a plug in from work and back.

Another misconception is that EVs require additional electric power, and therefore create more pollution, as the utility companies expand their power generation to meet the future demand. “I think this myth has been fueled by the oil companies whose refineries are actually the largest consumers of industrial electricity in California. In truth, even if EVs were fueled entirely by coal fired power plants (which is not the case in California), battery operated EVs are still significantly cleaner per mile than any other type of vehicle, including fuel cell vehicles,” said Jerry.

He also provided the EAA’s tri-fold that addresses the above and other issues.

I asked Jerry to include his personal perspective on how he can help the environment, and this is his reply:

“As president of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Electric Auto Association I am frequently invited to participate in various events to raise public awareness of electric vehicles.

Earlier this year, I had a solar system installed at my home and have used that as a means of educating our Electric Auto Association members about the benefits of using solar power to feed the power grid during the day, when demand is highest, and withdrawing power during the night, when utilities have a surplus of power. Here is a link to my solar website: click on the ‘Power Last 7 days’ button on the right hand side.
About a year ago, I used a grant from PG&E to produce several video clips that are on YouTube to spread the word to people who we would not otherwise reach the information. My YouTube video clip has had over 17,000 views thus far. The video clip is very informative."

What would be possible positions in the EV green sector?

Currently there are few EV jobs, as the industry is beginning to evolve. Jerry has seen some positions in the power electronics design engineering, in automotive engineering with an EV twist, project management positions, procurement positions, sales positions, and some repair technician jobs.

Several Educational programs are available. Recently, Jerry endorsed a training program for EV Technicians in San Jose. The program is pending the City of San Jose’s funding. The curriculum consisted of over 1,100 hours of hands on training.

Other tips for those wanting to break or transition into an EV career:

Jerry encourages keeping a close tab on the news to find out which companies are getting grants and funding. These companies will most likely need to hire people once they have the funding in hand. For example, the San Jose Mercury News business section (see CAREER POINTERS below) often will have this kind of information.

Also check the EAA website and the local Silicon Valley chapter (see CAREER POINTERS below), where Jerry is the President of the chapter. Other EAA chapters throughout California and the rest of the USA and beyond are also listed below.

To learn more about EVs, Jerry heard good feedback about EVworld website (see below).

For those who want to buy a used EV at an affordable price and get some hands-on experience, you can find some good deals at www.EVfinder.com and www.EVtradingPost.com.

What’s next for Jerry Pohorsky?

“This year I became a partner in eeVee Motors LLC and began the conversion of a 2001 Honda Civic from a gasoline powered vehicle into an electric car. This project has been a great learning experience and we plan to have the finished conversion on the road very soon.”

THANK YOU, Jerry, for sharing your experience and insights.

Crossroad image from green.sympatico.msn.ca    

 Electric Vehicle Resources

1. The Silicon Valley Chapter of the Electric Auto Association (EAASV)
Monthly meetings on 3rd Saturday of each month, 10am - noon
All meetings open to the public and membership is not required.
Location: HP, 3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94034

2. Click here for the Electric Auto Associationwebsite.
 3. Other EAA chapters throughout California and the rest of the USA and beyond.

 More resources:

1. Stay current with the green economy by checking the Business news at the San Jose Mercury News.

2. EV World, an online publication with the to provide a human face to the topic of sustainable transportation with a focus on the people and policy, as well as technology.
EV World relies largely on the voluntary efforts of a small cadre of dedicated electric vehicle enthusiasts and professionals who contribute material, information and support.

3. Used EVs:
www.EVfinder.com and www.EVtradingPost.com.

EV JOB OPENINGS

At Tesla Motors in San Carlos, CA and Menlo Park/Palo Alto, CA – over 45 openings:
Search on Regoin – ‘North America’: Tesla Motors Employment.

Send me feedback, Green career tips, training suggestions or job openings and I will share them.

 Tags:  plug-in vehicle, electric vehicles, electric car, light electric vehicle, NEV, LEV, EV, electric motorcycle, electric scooter, electric bike, electric motor, motorized bicycle, motorized tricycle, motorized bike, zero carbon emissions, environmentally conscious, energy mix, greenhouse gas emissions, GHG,  automobiles, pollution, zero emission, greenhouse, CO2, carbon dioxide, carbon footprint, fossil fuels, gasoline, smart grid, smart power, infrastructure, electric network, power network, electricity, electrical grid, electric generation, power grid, energy, alternative energy, carbon footprint, renewable energy, stimulus funding, DOE, Department Of Energy, electricity generation, electric distribution, saving energy, battery, federal incentives, federal tax credit, global concer, environmentally conscious, environmental initiative, environmental projects, green economy, green conscious, green initiatives, green careers, green jobs, green industries, green benefits, green network, environment, green classes, green training, environmental events, green events.