An 11-Pound Portable Power Station That Can Be Charged By Wall Outlet, Car Charger, Or Solar Power
"We want to invent this idea of mobile power and set the standard for it," says Eli Harris, CEO of EcoFLow. EcoFlow is a relatively new company that has a product called River Mobile Power Station. River is an 11-pound portable power station that can be charged by wall outlet, car charger, or solar power. After charging for about 8 hours via wall or car (12 by solar), it holds it's charge for a year - making it extremely useful for so many applications. Originally, though, it started as a solution to problems with drones.
Harris has lived off and on in California, where he is from, and China where he first helped in the founding of EcoFlow for the past 5 years. "I originally came over with the US Government with the Fulbright program," explains Harris. Fulbright is a University program in which students conduct research in foreign countries, improve country relations, and, hopefully, use their experiences to work for the government later. Harris went to China and he says, "Doors just kept opening for me."
He was in Beijing and in a bar and met the president of Flir Thermal Imaging, which he started to partner with and helped expand applications on thermal sensors. This led him to drones and "we wanted to integrate drones into agriculture, surveying, and search and rescue," explains Harris, "but the barrier to entry is that there is not a enough battery causing a too short flight time for these industries." He got in touch with "the brightest minds in the battery world" and started working on a mobile battery application.
"We realized there is a universal need for power," Harris says, "and time and time again, people turn to fuel generators, which, of course, is loud, heavy, and you need fuel - it just feels like antiquated technology." They started working on their mobile power station as a potential way to fulfill the need for power. It can simultaneously charge 11 different items through USB, AC, DC, and even a 12V Car Port. It uses a lithium ion battery and, therefore, can be charged hundreds to thousands of cycles without dwindling in power. "We didn't realize how special the product is until we have been getting feedback from the samples in the field," explains Harris. They sent products to various industry professionals - filmmakers, drone pilots, RV and outdoor enthusiasts, musicians - all of them "completely validated our product," Harris says.
What EcoFlow realized through this process is that people in all fields felt River was not a cool toy – it fulfilled a need. Harris gives the example, “A documentary filmmaker that has been using it and he loves it. One of the most important aspects of it is that it is silent, which is important when filming and always a problem with gas generators when you are on location.”
Harris’ plan for the company is bold and far reaching. In the beginning of May 2017, they are shipping out 5000 units. His team of 53 employees and engineers are releasing a River with lower capacity and higher capacity by the end of the year. They will focus on the United States for the initial launch and then push into the big 8 for consumer electronics – US, Canada, Australia, UK, EU, Japan, Korea and China. They are marketing to private consumers and eventually hope to switch to commercial applications. “We are in talks with governments throughout the world with less than reliable power grids – like Kenya and Panama – to provide subsidies for the River to provide power to their citizens.
Social responsibility is something close to Harris’ heart and stems from his upbringing and inspirations. Harris, 23 years old, was brought up in a family that supported internationalism. His Mom was based in Asia for over a decade and his Dad spent a lot of time in Kenya, “They both paved the way for my international existence and interest in diplomacy,” Harris says. Companies that take an interest in being responsible citizens also inspire him. “It sounds cliché, but I really admire Elon Musk and Tesla,” Harris says, “Tesla is doing some impressive work with batteries, but more in the industrial sense then we are. And Elon Musk is doing an incredible job by creating a dominant business that adds value and is concerned with helping the world.” The name of Harris’ company, EcoFlow, is a testament to their “commitment to sustainability.”
Harris recognizes the industry he is entering is set to become a big with many players. “We will be creating a range of products in portable battery solutions,” Harris explains, “and our goal is to become a premium brand, known for high quality products, in this new and exciting industry.”
Andrew Malo
A graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Education, Andrew has taught for the past decade in Chicago, New Mexico, and Japan. He enjoys tinkering with trucks and motorcycles, woodworking, reading and computer programming.
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