Black woman-owned business making an early mark in electric vehicles

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For Sheryl Ponds, a native Washingtonian and founder and CEO of Dai Technologies Corporation, the future is exciting— and it is now. Ponds’ DaiTechCorp counts as the region’s first and only company founded by a Black female focused on solutions that make electric vehicle (EV) charging accessible to all drivers. Ponds says her company provides tailor-made, turnkey installations of EV charging stations in the home, multifamily developments, and other commercial settings, including curbside parking. “I decided to jump into this business now as opposed to waiting until it becomes mainstream,” Ponds told the Baltimore Times. “It’s going to be big once everyone figures out that electric vehicles are not just a passing fancy.”

Ponds, whose love of all things STEM began in middle school, noted that drivers who live in dense urban and multifamily settings are discouraged from adopting those needed outlets without equitable access to EV charging stations. “Just the presence of one EV charger in an apartment or retail garage would influence more residents, patrons, and employees to embrace electrified transportation,” Ponds said. She also addressed some of the hesitancy in switching to electric vehicles, reiterating what she has previously stated on several podcasts. “Everyone is not mentally ready for EV adoption,” Ponds insisted. “It’s understandable, but I call it suffering from range anxiety— the fear of getting stuck on the road without an outlet to charge an electric vehicle.” Ponds further explained: “It’s embarrassing, and I get it. You feel vulnerable.” However, the University of Tennessee graduate who majored in mechanical engineering asserted that hesitancy could have cost her the opportunity of making history with DaiTech Corp.

“There are many individuals like myself who require greater access to EV charging stations before purchasing their first EV,” Ponds said. “I launched my company because I figured that if this new era of automotive transportation is going to take hold in the greater DMV area, it may as well start with me.” Eventually, Ponds noted that she put all her resources into building the company. Earlier this year, she was selected to provide home charger installations for Volvo Cars’ new electric vehicle owners in the DC metropolitan area.

“For the sake of our planet, electric vehicles must be the wave of the immediate future,” Ponds said the announcement. The agreement showed that the companies Qmerit and Volvo shared her commitment to ending range anxiety and promoting electric vehicle adoption, she said. “Consumers will not embrace the alternative to gasoline-powered cars until they believe their access to electric vehicle charging stations is convenient and secure,” Ponds declared. She said she aims to make it practical for the average driver from an urban or underserved market to switch from a car fueled by “dinosaur juice” to one energized with electricity.

Ponds promised that DaiTechCorp does meet area electric vehicle drivers’ needs through the company’s knack for establishing tailor-made, turnkey plug-in vehicle charging programs for places where they live, work, or play. “You know, if we have enough power to cut on your lights and operate things around the house, then it’s just a matter of time before we can figure out a way to harness enough power to move cars with this technology that we now have,” Ponds mused. “It’s really no different. We have these mobile devices that we have to plug in every day, and we plug them in every night. They are charged and ready. Well, it’s no different than how I see electric vehicles. So let’s write our electric vehicle adoption story together. Reach out to me, and I’d love to help you stare down this range anxiety.” Reach out to Sheryl Ponds on Instagram and Twitter @daitechceo.

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