Co-Founders Thor Trucks, North Hollywood Ages: 26 Thor Trucks calls itself a “transportation lab” making heavy-duty electric vehicles for fleet sales. Sordoni said inspiration for the company came from growing up with low-quality air in the San Fernando Valley. Biggest Challenge in Starting a Business? Finding the right battery for our electric trucks. Everything on the market was some combination of too heavy, too expensive and too low in energy density. This was mostly because the existing solutions were built for passenger cars. Our solution was to go ahead and build a better battery! Motivation to Start Company: I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and can remember days where we couldn’t play outside because the air quality was so poor. I had bad asthma growing up that put me in the hospital a few times a year as a kid. This seemed like a problem worth solving, and I’d love to be able to raise my kids in the Valley and not worry so much about the air they breathe. Commercial trucks are among the biggest contributors to pollution in most cities; this is especially true in Los Angeles. Most Interesting Aspect of Job: The engineering – and specifically the battery. I don’t have a formal degree in engineering, so the last two years has been a huge education in not only how electric vehicles work, but how things are made more generally. We’re pushing the limits of battery technology here at Thor, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by some of the best and brightest engineers. Personality on the Job: This job would be infinitely more difficult if I wasn’t genuinely curious. Coming to the table with genuine curiosity and being humble about where my gaps in knowledge are have led to deeper, more productive professional relationships. Most Memorable Experience: The first time we got the electric semi-truck driving was a very memorable and emotional experience – at the end of more than a few sleepless nights. That same prototype truck broke down on the 5 freeway in the middle of rush hour while on the way to a customer demo. An engineer and I shared a harrowing motorcycle ride through traffic to get the truck back up and running before the demo. We made it just in time. Biggest Misconception About the Industry: Electric vehicles are heavy, expensive and problematic. The industry has changed dramatically in the past five years, and companies like Thor are building vehicles that can compete with traditional vehicles across the board. You no longer have to make big compromises to drive an electric truck. How This Generation is Different: It’s a long list, but one interesting way is that many in my generation have left behind the idea that making money and doing good need to be mutually exclusive. I’ve taken inspiration from others pursuing “triple bottom line” business that aim to turn a profit while also having an environmental and social impact. Future Goal: We want to bring affordable, easy-to-adopt electric trucks to the masses! Three years from now we should have a few thousand vehicles on the road and a really robust set of data that proves that electric trucks can not only contribute to cleaner air, but save fleets millions in maintenance and fuel costs. Entrepreneurial Advice: Don’t be afraid to start a business that solves a hairy or difficult problem. If it’s easy to solve, anyone can do it. Also, the best business model or product doesn’t always win. You need more of an edge than that, and you should be thinking about how to access the lowest-cost capital possible. That is a metric you’ll be competing on whether you like it or not.
