Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption faces significant challenges due to inadequate charging infrastructure, leading to the growing issue of "charging anxiety." Bradford Crist, Co-founder and CEO of Chargemate, shares how his AI-powered solutions aim to make EV charging as seamless as refueling a traditional car.
TAMPA BAY, Fla., May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Electric Vehicle (EV) sales hit an all-time high of 1.3 million units in 2024, reflecting an impressive 7.3% growth compared to the previous year. (1) Yet, despite this milestone, the EV revolution faces a significant roadblock—charging anxiety. Nearly 20% of public charging attempts fail, leaving drivers frustrated and hesitant about the shift to electric. (2) On the latest episode of the Disruption Interruption podcast, Karla Jo Helms (KJ) welcomes Bradford Crist, Co-founder and CEO of Chargemate, a climate tech innovator helping drivers overcome these hurdles. Crist is rewriting the future of Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption by enabling AI to address real-time charging concerns while ensuring public charging systems operate efficiently.
"Imagine pulling up to a gas station, only to find 20% of pumps out of order," Crist emphasizes. "We're tackling the same friction for EV drivers, empowering infrastructure providers and vehicle owners to bridge the confidence gap."
Charging Anxiety is Stalling EV Adoption
Despite its rise, EV adoption remains limited at approximately 7–10% of vehicle sales in the U.S., a figure projected to grow to 25% in a few years. However, the underlying Achilles' heel is charging anxiety, which stems from broken chargers, inconsistent payment methods, and the lack of a cohesive support system for public chargers.
"EV owners outside early-adopter hubs like California face what we call charging deserts," Crist explains. "This creates regional disparity, with urban centers seeing adoption while rural or Midwest states remain reluctant."
Unlike filling up a traditional gas tank, EV charging requires precise coordination between hardware, networks, apps, and vehicles. The failure of any one component, like payment terminals or software handshakes between EVs and chargers, can derail an entire charging session. For new EV users, this complexity can feel overwhelming.
"Drivers shouldn't have to act as troubleshooting technicians," Crist states. "This complexity undermines the scalability of EV infrastructure, leaving prospective EV buyers skeptical."
Chargemate's AI-Powered Roadmap to Simplify EV Charging
Chargemate offers a game-changing solution to failed charging sessions with its AI-powered platform. Its flagship product, an AI agent, interacts with both infrastructure and drivers in real time, automating troubleshooting and restarting failed sessions in seconds. "At Chargemate, we solve two key problems," Crist explains. "First, educating drivers on proper charger use. Second, reducing friction by detecting and resolving failures with AI workflows."
No app downloads are needed—drivers simply scan a QR code on chargers for instant assistance. For operators, this platform delivers valuable insights and diagnostics, cutting downtime and improving customer experience. "Imagine a road trip where EV charging is seamless," Crist says. "Our goal is a world where EV ownership is practical for everyone."
Chargemate's pilot programs span ten U.S. states, including California, Texas, and Illinois. "This is just the beginning," Crist concludes. "EV drivers and operators don't just need infrastructure—they need infrastructure they can trust."
Links
Disrupting EV Charging: How AI is Fixing the Industry's Biggest Problem with Bradford Crist
https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-ev-charging-how-ai-is-fixing-the-industry-s-biggest-problem-with-bradford-crist
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradford-crist-787a5519/
Company website: https://www.chargemate.ai/about
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About Bradford Crist
Bradford Crist is a visionary product and company builder on a mission to leave the planet greener than he found it. As Founder and CEO of ChargeMate, he is tackling one of the biggest roadblocks to widespread EV adoption—charging anxiety. By reimagining the EV charging experience with AI and user-first design, Crist and his team are developing smarter, more reliable infrastructure that transforms how drivers charge at home and on the road.
With over a decade of experience in climate tech, Crist has built software and hardware systems from the ground up, including mobile apps, AC/DC chargers, computer vision models, and automotive fintech products. At Volta Charging, he led product development on the driver app, helping scale the platform from 500 to over 3,000 public charging stations globally. He holds multiple patents in AI and machine learning and has a deep background in clean energy, having studied energy and environmental policy at Georgetown University.
Crist also advises climate-focused startups like CropGuard, where he helps pioneer risk management tools for farmers navigating climate volatility. Whether building from zero to one or optimizing for mass scale, Crist remains obsessed with solving hard infrastructure problems that accelerate the shift to electrified, sustainable systems.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
References
1. Cox Automotive. "Electric Vehicle Sales Jump Higher in Q4, Pushing U.S. Sales to a Record 1.3 Million - Cox Automotive Inc." Cox Automotive Inc., 13 Jan. 2025, coxautoinc.com/market-insights/q4-2024-ev-sales/.
2. Tucker, Sean. "Study: 1 in 5 Public EV Charging Attempts Fail - Kelley Blue Book." Kelley Blue Book, 4 Mar. 2025, kbb.com/car-news/study-1-in-5-public-ev-charging-attempts-fail/.
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SOURCE Disruption Interruption
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