The EVbee team met in the Netherlands headquarters last week for the biannual team building and year review. The past year was an incredibly important one in our development plan and has allowed EVbee to strengthen its core foundations in the industry and further expand its reach across Europe.
Shirley Liu, EVbee's Brand Director, summarises 2023 as: "At the start of the year, we had the concept of how we want the brand to be; this year was about experimenting with how to achieve this. Now we understand better how to get our story across, the next year can be focused on growing our brand further.”
As a multinational team, an important part of the success of EVbee requires cooperation between teams, many of whom are based remotely. This is why, alongside regular online check-ins, we ensure at least two in-person meetings involving the whole team every year. In the first week of December, team members based in Europe were invited to the Netherlands’ HQ to come together to review the year and discuss business strategy for the coming year; alongside this, there was also some time to enjoy some team-building activities.
The event allowed the opportunity to highlight the successful points of the year, of which there were many, and also to join together to brainstorm solutions to obstacles faced. Some of this year’s highlights included:
UK Launch
One of the most significant achievements for the team this year was our launch in the UK. Early on in the development stages of EVbee, the UK market was identified as an important player in the future of EV infrastructure. In the UK, the EV industry is particularly interconnected, which means there is an even higher level of dependence on networking and the region’s e-mobility community. To take on this challenge, in November of this year, Merv Roxas was enrolled in EVbee as our UK & Ireland CEO. Already, as part of the EVbee team, Merv has successfully begun integrating EVbee into UK markets.
As a result of the concerted efforts to build our presence in the UK, towards the end of this year, EVbee announced its first partnership in the region with Sevadis. As one of the leading players in UK e-mobility markets with a wealth of regional expertise and connections, the partnership with Sevadis will strongly feature in EVbee’s future development in 2024. Sevadis will exclusively provide our cutting-edge LUX AC Home Charger in the UK, which will be officially launched in early 2024. An important milestone in EVbee’s development, this partnership symbolizes the results that are emerging after an important year of evolution.
Exhibitions
EVbee attended important exhibitions across Europe this year, three of which EVbee had its booth showcasing our product portfolio. Power2Drive in June 2023 provided the first opportunity to have a dedicated EVbee booth at an event such as this. From the very first stand, the growth is significant as our debut at IFA- a staple in any technology enthusiast’s diary- in September shows. IFA coincided with EVbee’s first anniversary and so the event symbolized a joint celebration of our full product portfolio on display for the first time as well as marking an important company milestone. The last event of 2023 was the London EV Show, another landmark occasion emblematising EVbee’s official UK launch. The EVbee marketing and sales teams collaborated to create our most successful booth yet, which was both eye-catching in design and provided a space to showcase products smartly.
When EVbee was not showcasing its designs with a dedicated booth at exhibitions, our team members also traveled to shows across Europe to participate in discussions across the continent. These included the Nordic EV Summit, Battery Technology Expo at Silverstone, and Global Mobility Call in Madrid. In an industry that is as dynamic as the EV industry, EVbee recognizes the importance of staying ahead of the curve. Therefore, attending these conferences and exhibitions is a central element of how EVbee ensures it continues to be at the forefront of technological developments.
Whilst staying ahead of development is a core part of EVbee’s business development plan, encouraging individual development is an important part of the EVbee ethos. For example, our Head of Product Development Fredrik Eksund has participated in many events whilst representing EVbee. At eMove360° in Munich, for example, Fredrik’s keynote speech addressed the developments of Edge Computing in EV technology. This autumn, he also participated in a panel discussion regarding the future of EV charging infrastructure. Moving into 2024, we are committed to championing our team members and encouraging them to strive individually to keep ahead in the EV industry.
Expanding Portfolio
EVbee’s global product and technical teams have been working hard to produce products that we are proud to showcase. With resilience and ingenuity always a priority in each design, a core element of our manifesto is to provide carefree charging for all. To honor this, the team has produced innovative designs that are also affordable, utilize the latest technology to ensure a simple user experience, and provide optimum charging for maximum efficiency.
Three EVbee products that have been launched this year and will be available in markets from early next year include:
LUX AC Home Charger: Designed for charging whilst at home, it is a compact charger with dynamic phase and load balancing capabilities that can be easily managed via our app.
DC 180: Our powerful public charger features a highly modular design that minimizes costs, ensuring a low TCO for charging point operators.
Lumina AC Public Charger: This versatile design provides dynamic smart charging for a range of commercial settings; its flexible payment options and touchscreen navigation ensure a user-friendly experience.
Growing Team
The EVbee team grew substantially over the year, and we now have almost 20 colleagues across Europe. The EVbee R&D team has established strong bases in both the Netherlands - where our European HQ is based - and Norway. The UK team is ever-growing with an expanding body of sales and technical support team members, and several of our team members are also based in Spain. On EVbee's expansion this year, HR and Business Operations Director Amy Chan states, "We have attracted a team of established industry professionals who can facilitate our growth and provide world-class expertise. By doing this, we have created a team that is exciting to be part of.”
EVbee prioritises creating a successful working environment; therefore, we recognise that it is important for a team based across countries to dedicate time to in-person meetings. With many new faces this year, the team building in the Netherlands last week provided an opportunity to forge greater connections between colleagues and a chance for some fun at the Christmas meal. On Wednesday, after an important day of collaboration, with each team lead presenting the successes and points for further development of their projects, we continued a fantastic evening of celebration. First, we headed to a trendy golf club where we enjoyed hours of fun, including some healthy competition. The activities were followed by a delicious Korean BBQ buffet with every kind of food you could ever ask for, and the evening ended with a Christmas toast with a bottle of Korean liquor!
The second day of the trip was focused on brainstorming for the future. It was a chance for the whole team to come together to share their aspirations and contributions to the future of EVbee. Amy had also organized a special EVbee surprise, and each team member received their very own EVbee speaker and goodie bag. Over the two days, the whole team came together to create real results and made important decisions in the development plans for the future. Great credit must go to Amy and the Netherlands' HQ team, who made the days productive and hugely enjoyable, too.
2023 has provided the EVbee team with a lot to be proud of. Growing from strength to strength, the starting motivations for EVbee have always remained a fundamental driving force pushing the team to expand and ensure that the end goal can be realized. Going into 2024, EVbee has progressed another step forward in revolutionizing the e-mobility industry to provide EV charging solutions for every scenario. The next year is incremental in our journey towards creating a greener world - join us for 2024 of exciting partnerships, innovative designs, and carefree charging!
