Building Trust Before the Plug: How EVs Go Mainstream | Rob Barrosa, Electrify America

Rob Barrosa, President and CEO of Electrify America, joins Russ Fordyce on the Winners' Circle Podcast after winning the Sustainability Leadership Award (Organization) at the 2026 Sustainability Awards. Rob explains why his team built 350 kW chargers before the cars could use them, how battery storage and utility partnerships keep the grid in balance, and how ride and drive events, incentives and workforce training bring first-time drivers into EVs. If you have wondered what really holds EV-curious drivers back, this conversation has answers. Guest Info Guest: Rob Barrosa , President and CEO Company: Electrify America Award: 2026 Sustainability Awards, Sustainability Leadership Award (Organization) Chapters [00:00] Welcome and the 2026 Sustainability Award [00:53] Inside Electrify America: 5,600 chargers across 47 states [02:55] What has changed since 2018 [03:34] Betting on 350 kW before the cars arrived [04:57] Charging for drivers without a home charger [07:07] Batteries, the grid and the AI data center comparison [08:12] Inside the community-led education program [10:09] Ride and drive events and getting people in the seats [11:07] Training the next workforce [12:38] What really holds EV-curious drivers back [14:47] Exchange programs and cleaner air [16:17] The hard parts: utilities, permitting and the handshake [19:56] Location strategy: amenities, highways, then cities [23:33] Measuring what community programs deliver [26:00] Families, kids and the moment the lights go on [28:36] Where charging goes next: speed, trucks and the grid [30:50] Planning with utilities and cities [32:49] Wrap-up and thanks Key Takeaways Build for where the market is going. Electrify America deployed 350 kW charging when many people said it was unnecessary, because the team knew longer range, faster charging vehicles were on the way. Today cars are pushing 400 to 600 kW, and some models charge at a megawatt. The hard parts are not just hardware. Utilities, permitting agencies and the car-to-charger handshake took years of education and a Northern Virginia lab with hundreds of thousands of testing hours. The next challenge is the grid, which is why battery storage and energy management matter. Awareness and price move drivers. Ride and drive events get people in the seat, incentives like $2,000 to $3,000 off address the price gap, and workforce training builds the people who will support the network. Resources Mentioned Electrify America Rob Barrosa on LinkedIn Electrify America on LinkedIn Nomination video on YouTube Celebrate Excellence Know an organization doing sustainability work worth celebrating? Learn about the Sustainability Awards and nominate them. Subscribe 🎧 Subscribe to the Winners' Circle Podcast: bintelligence.com/podcast