A vision for a gas-free future

Thanks to a dedicated generation of scientist entrepreneurs, the once far-off dream of gas-free, electric vehicles (EVs) has finally become a 21st century reality. Since hitting the market, EVs have grown to account for an estimated 8% of new car sales, and to claim a nearly $700 billion share of the global auto industry. And while innovations in battery life capability, software development, and manufacturing deserve much of the credit for this success, it’s high time to recognize another key player in the EV story, one that may play an outsize role in deciding whether electric vehicles ultimately replace gas-powered cars for good.

We're talking about nationwide electric car charging networks, such as those built by businesses like Quebec City-based FLO, a long-term client of Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA). A look at FLO’s trajectory from startup to major stakeholder in the world’s electrified future is a story of foresight, long-term planning, taking a chance, and saving-the-world ambition.

In the beginning

The history of electric cars goes back longer than most people realize. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, about a third of the vehicles on the road in the year 1900 were electric, and electric car designs were even explored by industry pioneers including Ferdinand Porsche and Henry Ford. But then Ford’s Model-T rolled off assembly lines and internal combustion became the standard.

It would take decades before EVs were able to reach highway speeds easily achieved by gas engines. Then once they caught up as the 20th century came to an end, the commercial viability of EVs would be haunted by a concept known as range anxiety: the fear that the driver would not have enough power to reach a destination.

Early EVs were pricey but had a limited range—sometimes just 100 miles. But even in 2024, with EV prices dropping and newer models having ranges up to 400 miles, consumer surveys show that range anxiety is still one of the top concerns among buyers considering a switch to EVs.

This concern has garnered more scrutiny this year amid industry reports EV sales growth slowed in the first quarter. While EV sales are growing they aren’t growing as fast as previous years. A common refrain has been about early adopters. Those who are most passionate about converting to EVs already have, and that the next surge of EV sales will depend on electric-curious car buyers who are still on the fence and need a bit more of a push to go electric. Part of that push will come from a relief from range anxiety via an increase in critical EV charging infrastructure that is convenient, reliable, and fast.

Fortunately, Louis Tremblay, the president and CEO of FLO, started building that infrastructure 15 years ago.

A vision for the future

Back in 2004, between getting a degree in electrical engineering and starting a master’s in power electronics, Tremblay was inspired by the Kyoto Protocol, the landmark 1997 international treaty that sought to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to pre-1990 levels by the year 2050. As a budding young entrepreneur, he recognized that it wasn’t just advances in electric vehicle technology that would help reach those goals.

“Before I started my master’s program,” Tremblay says, “I realized the real problem was, where do we charge?” Drivers will be reluctant to make the switch if they aren’t able to charge their vehicles enough to make their journey each day. So, in 2009, he co-founded FLO in his native Quebec, with a plan to build a charging network that could help calm that fear.

Internal combustion engine car drivers don’t experience range anxiety because, thanks to 120 years of infrastructure, there is generally a gas station within reach. The FLO network sets out to establish a similar infrastructure for EVs, and in only 15 years FLO has installed more than 115,000 charging stations across the U.S. and Canada, including in-home stations, and private and commercial Level 2 fast chargers across the country including significant deployments on the streets of major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Cleveland.

With FLO’s network of conveniently placed fast charging stations, that range anxiety is reduced down to nearly zero. FLO’s network is designed to meet 100% of EV drivers’ charging needs—and also make charging not just easy but also enjoyable.

Whether a charging station sits at a highway convenience store or is one among 500 curbside locations FLO installed across Los Angeles or in all five boroughs in New York City, Tremblay says it's paramount that EV drivers have convenient and consistent charging experiences. “You want these to be really, really successful to drive more EV adoption,” Tremblay says. “At the end of the day, for the EV driver, it needs to be simple.”

Collaboration is key

Tremblay has had to solve many very intricate puzzles to achieve simple: “We are in a complex ecosystem with many players,” he explains. FLO has to be a charging station manufacturer, a software developer, and a network operator. The company deals with car manufacturers, utility companies, municipal governments, small businesses, and a network of more than 500,000 FLO members—all in a field of constantly advancing technology. “We have to work even with our competitors to evolve with innovation,” he adds. “And also, standardization.”

One piece of the puzzle involved an industry-wide effort to standardize both the hardware and software interfaces employed by manufacturers and charging networks, so drivers wouldn’t have to worry about compatibility when finding their nearest charging station. FLO took an active role with the certified bodies determining the protocols that will make charging easier for drivers. For example, one such decision was to make electric vehicle charging more intuitive by making the action similar to inserting a gas nozzle.

"Discussions were happening on the physical coupler, and cars would share the same ones, whether you have a Chevy or a BMW or Mercedes or whatever the brand would be,” he says.

While FLO has continued to update the technology behind its fast chargers, Tremblay says FLO’s charging station hardware is designed to last at least 10 years, and a number of its older stations remain fully functional after 12 years and counting. A more perpetually moving target is to maintain the devices’ smart communications networks, which may navigate drivers to a fast charger location, and manage exchanges with vehicle batteries. Considering any one of the EV car manufacturers may update their vehicles’ on-board software as often as once per month, FLO’s software must also routinely be refreshed to keep pace.

Balancing innovation with risk

If the FLO business took this much consideration to get off the ground, you can imagine how intricate its insurance needs had to be. MMA Executive Vice President Mathieu Gagnon has worked with FLO since the business launched and had the privilege of figuring out the many ways it demanded coverage. “We needed to put up an insurance program that was custom, for a one-of-a-kind client,” reflects Gagnon. This meant dealing with insurance providers to price out policies for FLO, without having similar companies to compare it to. “Back then, literally it was about explaining what the company does.”

For example, they had to factor the risk inherent with carving out a completely new product niche. “The way they’re set up to manufacture is unique to them,” Gagnon says. “So, what happens if there’s a loss there? They can’t go across the street to find another manufacturing location.”

Once everything has been accounted for, FLO holds about 15 different policies, ranging from commercial general liability and property insurance to errors and omissions and cyber risk. “We’ve been very innovative,” says Gagnon. “We work with them on product recall policies, intellectual property insurance. We've really used the Marsh network for some very sophisticated types of policies that are not broadly out there. It was really fun to do!”

MMA acquired Canadian brokerage Vézina in 2015, and Gagnon explains the timing proved fortuitous—it coincided with FLO opening a second plant in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and expanding further into the U.S. market. “Things have improved, because joining MMA really gave me access to the whole U.S. base of knowledge and market,” Gagnon says. "It was really instrumental." Gagnon's new American colleagues helped him manage subtle—and not so subtle—differences between Canadian and U.S. policy. For example, in Canada, workers’ comp benefits are administered by the government, whereas it’s the domain of private companies in the U.S.

Gagnon notes that the relationship seems to have been a success for everyone. FLO’s business has increased significantly since 2015. At the same time, the experience working with FLO has helped Gagnon and MMA earn the business of other players in the greater EV industry. “Once they know that you understand the ecosystem of EV technologies,” he explains, “they tend to trust you a bit more.”

Planning for a bright future

Another misconception people have about charging EVs is the idea that you have to charge the vehicle to 100%. This can take hours at a Level 2 station or up to an hour at a fast charger, depending on the car model and battery capacity. But that habit is an outdated remnant of “fill’er up” gas station culture, where you also went into the station to pay an attendant.

In actual practice, EV charging proves quite different. For the battery’s health, drivers should charge only to 80% for everyday driving. Topping the “tank” off is really not good for an EV. Additionally, drivers no longer need to go into a gas station. The vast majority of chargers today do not have a station or attendant. All of the transactions are done via an app or the payment screen on the station. The FLO app allows online payments, charging updates, and 24/7 customer support, and the app’s trip planning feature can help predict when and where you may need to stop to charge so that you can go on to reach your destinations. “It’s really unusual to stop at zero—at just the fume of the electrons,” Tremblay jests.

Meanwhile, when it comes to newer generations of car batteries and fast chargers, most will get all the charge you need in roughly the time it takes to use the restroom and wipe your windshield—especially if you’re using one of FLO’s newer ultra-fast chargers.

“In 15 minutes today, we can charge a car at 80%,” Tremblay says. In other words, enough juice to go another 200 miles or more. Little wonder why most of the time you won’t bother to charge even 15 minutes, he says, rather, “just for what you need to get to your destination.” Meaning, for most drivers, switching to electric vehicles will mean spending less, not more time, stopping to refuel—just a cherry on top when you’re helping to save the environment.

Now 20 years on, even as the Kyoto Protocol has been superseded by the Paris Accords, Tremblay sticks with Kyoto’s original target date as a guidepost for FLO’s long-term growth. Because back in 2009, he wasn’t just thinking ahead, he was thinking far ahead to 2050. He understood that electric vehicle adoption was a project measured in decades, not years, and that building the infrastructure required for a gas-free future would take uncommon patience and perseverance.

So, it’s impressive that, at the same time, Tremblay has managed to maintain a passion for fighting climate change, as well as a sense of urgency. “Because 2050 is tomorrow,” he says, “and we need everyone to be engaged toward this objective.”