Detroit entrepreneur creates portable electric vehicle charger that comes to you

(FOX 2) - As the electric vehicle roll-out continues its bumpy path toward adoption, the barrier of not having enough facilities to charge the increasing number on the road has persisted.

But one Detroit resident has a solution, once again proving why her home is called the Motor City, even if there is no motor involved. 

Standing next to a large truck that reads Ms. BB's EV Charge Express, Frederica Shields has outfitted the prototype to be a portable charging station. Capable of bringing the power to the vehicle, she hopes it will mean fewer stranded motorists.

"We have a 120,000 watt generator over here," she said. "If you were down say 50% we could get you up and running in about 20 minutes."

Unless someone has a fast charging station available, it can take a long time to power up the battery that helps electric vehicles move. That means not only having a portable charger coming to them, but helping power up their vehicle quickly could be a big boost.

Shields' experience in the workforce tracks back to the food service industry and when she got the idea for a charger on wheels, it required taking a leap of faith.

"It was a hard decision but I just really believed in it and I said 'I'm just going to go out on a limb and just go for it' so it was something I had to do," she said.

Fortunately, she was already aware of the concept of "range anxiety," being an electric vehicle owner herself. Whether other EV owners were fighting for a sport or struggling to charge their car on their own, she became familiar with the obvious jam for electricity.

But that was just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey.

She sold properties and refinanced her own home to get enough cash to start Ms. BB's EV Charge Express. 

After buying the truck and the equipment, she sought knowledge on how to operate and repair the vehicle. The classes were held at the growing center of mobility research and knowledge hub of future vehicles: New Lab in Detroit.

"I think they were amazed themselves and didn't believe it, 'okay, you say you are going to do this but this isn't going to get done,'" she said.

The building is part of the Michigan Central campus that Ford opened to the public this summer. While there, Shields learned of the pitch contest for budding entrepreneurs which offered 40 people a chance to compete with only a minute to make their argument.

Shields only had eight hours to prepare - but it was enough for her idea to be selected.

"It validated it and also the funds I'm going to get, I'm purchasing a new truck for my second one," she said. 

The business runs on a subscription model which starts at $50 a month. Her goal is to serve everyday drivers, as well as corporate vehicle fleets, cities, and schools in the area. 

Learn more at bbsevcharge.com/