Innovation

Wieser Electric was founded in 2018 while David still served in the Canadian military. During his last few years of service, he was required to drive a significant distance to and from work, costing him too much money on gas. He was sick of needing to pay high gas prices, so he leaped at his first electric vehicle. Since that day, he has become an expert on electric vehicles and installing in-home, wall-mounted EV chargers. David’s first electric vehicle and his drive to do his part to fight climate change was the emergence of his innovation. David’s innovation is a service. He is a licensed Tesla charger installer and has a partnership with Qmerit to be the preferred installer of EV chargers for General Motors, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford in the Kingston area.

Wieser Electric is currently David and two other employees. The business is still in its early stages; however, the electric vehicle market is only growing. More and more people are trading their gas guzzlers for a clean transportation alternative to help do their part in fighting climate change. As more people begin to drive electric vehicles, David can leverage his partnerships with Tesla and Qmerit to generate more in-home installations for his company. As Wieser Electric continues to grow with the EV market, he will be able to leverage his partnerships further to allow him to be installing chargers at shopping malls and other public locations.

David’s vision is to “electrify the transportation system in Ontario,” and he is well on his way to achieving his goal (Wieser, 2022). David believes that he is the most knowledgeable about electric vehicles in the Kingston area and believes he gives people the confidence to go electric. David has a clear vision and knows where he wants his company and the transportation industry to go, and he is one of the main drivers of change.

Inspiration

David's inspiration for his company arose through his interest and passion for the electrician trade. The groundwork for Weiser Electrics started in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2000 when David first decided to become an electrician. After his decision, he completed his apprenticeship and five years later got an offer to be posted in Winnipeg to become a Red Seal Journeyman Electrician. His path soon led him to start a family of his while also pursuing work overseas. David was deployed twice, the first with the 171 CEF and the second with 1 Combat Engineer Regiment. In his second tour, David and his regiment were deployed to make the living and working conditions in Kandahar, Afghanistan, safe. While back at home, he founded Bicycle Valet Winnipeg, which became a massive hit among Winnipeggers. After seven and a half years of being posted in Winnipeg, David was promoted to Sergeant, stationed in Kingston, Ontario. After receiving a Master Electrician License in the province of Ontario, which he acquired in 2013, he started his own business, Weiser Electric.

"In 2018, I got interested in electric vehicles. I was nervous about getting an electric vehicle myself, so as an electrician, I can imagine other people that don't know anything about electric vehicles would be nervous about moving to the electrical side" (Weiser, 2022). This was his way of setting an example to others on the fence about buying an electric car. This leap of faith helped motivate David to specialize in Tesla wall connectors and provide general electrical services. David's motivations and interests for the trade began early in his career; however, in 2018, he truly began to innovate his business by becoming a licensed Tesla wall connector specialist in the Kingston area and creating a partnership with Qmerit.

Overall impact

Over these past decades, society has been suffocating from the gasoline and diesel emissions that poison our environment yet prevail throughout our financial markets with a goal of profits. However, for the first time in decades, electricians and vehicle manufacturers are ready to help clean up the environmental footprint of the automotive industry. Although Wieser Electric was established in 2018, this year will be the year that proves Wieser Electric is capable of electrifying the transportation scene throughout Ontario. David was asked if his innovation was scalable or replicable, and his response was clear as day, “scalable," any electrician can install an electric vehicle charger. However, Wieser Electric is non-replicable, and the reasoning is the predominant partnership with Qmerit (Wieser, 2022). Unlike recent years, vehicle manufacturers have stepped up to the plate, re-designing the electric vehicle and shifting the supply and demand scene by offering more diversity in choices (Wieser, 2022). Above all, with Wieser Electric obtaining the partnership with Qmerit, many of these innovative vehicles will soon hit the road and will be charged using chargers that David may have installed.

When focusing the study on short-term and long-term effects, short-term effects can only be accounted for, as Wieser Electric has only been established for less than 5 years. The main goal David wants to elucidate is allowing each person in society to have the choice and opportunity to help contribute to the UN’s sustainability throughout cities. One can easily identify the focus and determination of abiding by the UN sustainable development goals, with an operation focused on removing gasoline and diesel emissions and replacing them with a more sustainable solution. The SDG Wieser Electric is targeting the most is Goal 13 Climate Change. However, there are four other SDGs that David expressed when meeting, and those are goal 7 affordable and clean energy, goal 11 sustainable cities and communities, goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and finally, goal 17 Partnerships for the goal (Wieser, 2022).

Business benefit

Covid-19 yielded greater adverse effects on business than anything society has seen in a decade. Unlike the gas and diesel emission manufacturers having difficulties with imports and export, while above all having to close many of the plants, EV vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla did not. Electric Vehicle's supply, demand, and stock prices were capable of increasing 17x throughout the entire pandemic, setting a new wave of industry standards. Abiding by this new industry standard, many new car companies have entered the electric vehicle scene by expanding their divisions. With such a demand for electric vehicles, David himself has the demand for his charger installations. When more electric cars are on the road, the business will grow for Wieser Electric, with hopes to expand the business across all of Ontario. They have embedded confidence in their customers, ensuring customers will have a successful installation of the charger and that it meets their needs. If someone in the Kingston area needs an electric vehicle charger, they know Wieser Electric is the business to call.

Social and environmental benefit

Today’s society still heavily relies on fossil fuels to power our cars, but the shift to electric vehicles (EV) is approaching. Their charger installation process makes it easier for you to fuel your vehicle while making it more accessible by having the charger at home. Wieser Electric is making it easier for you to charge your electric vehicle at a cheaper cost than traditional fuel. David told a story about how a road trip cost him around $80 in gas, whereas the same trip only cost him $7 in electricity using an electric vehicle. This helps to illustrate how they are making transportation more affordable in the long run and being greener with clean energy in doing so. These chargers are helping to reduce the burning of fossil fuels for transportation, positively impacting the environment. These charger installations also make consumers aware of responsible consumption, knowing they are fueling a vehicle that has less of a negative impact on our already struggling world. Society will need these chargers in the future, and Wieser Electric is one step ahead in getting you access to one.

Interview

David Wieser, Founder