Building the Airbnb for EV Charging with DeCharge | Mohan Ponnada

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Recorded at the EV3 DePIN Summit in Kenya, Connor spoke with Mohan Ponnada, founder of DeCharge, at a beach resort in Mombasa, Kenya, about transforming the EV charging industry in emerging markets like Kenya and Tanzania. Ponnada discussed DeCharge’s move from India to Kenya to tap into the region’s growing gig economy and EV adoption, stressing the value of local partnerships. He outlined how DeCharge tackles the industry's fragmentation through a decentralized model that lets individuals and small businesses monetize idle charging infrastructure. With a goal of 25,000 stations by March and a seamless, app-free user experience, DeCharge is scaling quickly. The episode wrapped with insights into their upcoming token launch on the Solana blockchain to strengthen their decentralized foundation.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:03 - Exploring Emerging Markets

01:54 - Current Footprint and Local Partnerships

02:39 - Challenges in the EV Charging Industry

04:57 - Decentralization and Community Involvement

05:13 - Motivating Community Participation

08:07 - Bringing Your Own Device

09:06 - Current Network Status and Sales Growth

12:14 - Token Launch Plans and Blockchain Choice

14:32 - Why Solana?

16:29 - Where to Learn More About DeCharge

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.