In this episode of The Techne Connect, Jim Castelaz, Founder and CEO of Arcticar and former Founder of Motive Electric Trucks, shares how a lifelong mission to free fleets from fossil fuels shaped his path from Stanford engineer to serial entrepreneur.
Jim reflects on the leap from academia to founding Motive, why values-based hiring and strong customer support built lasting trust, and the moment electric trucks proved commercially viable without subsidies. He explores lessons for founders and engineers—balancing conviction with feedback, evolving from engineer to leader, and building culture around clear purpose and accountability.
The conversation moves to Arcticar, where Jim reveals how all-electric refrigerated trailers can replace diesel-powered systems with efficient, zero-emission technology. He discusses the health, cost, and sustainability gains, and his ambition to decarbonise cold-chain logistics.
A must-listen for anyone passionate about climate innovation, sustainable transport, and the realities of scaling mission-driven engineering ventures.