【Corporate Interview】Leading Green Energy Mobility, DARA POWER Expands Comprehensive Services

Amid the global pursuit of sustainability and green energy mobility, the electric vehicle trend continues to thrive, driving a growing demand for charging equipment. From stationary to mobile charging solutions, innovations are constantly emerging. Meeting user needs has become the key for brands to stand out, and enhancing brand favorability through product design and brand image is the path to sustainable business success.

In this interview, King One Design speaks with DARA POWER's General Manager, Ander Liao, who shares insights on innovative product design and brand image marketing strategies, as well as thoughts on collaborating with King One Design in planning commercial spaces and exhibition booth designs.

【Corporate Profile】

Company: DARA POWER

Interviewee: General Manager, Ander Liao

Overview: DARA POWER offers a range of charging and energy storage solutions tailored to user needs, from stationary DC fast chargers to the mobile charging robot E-HERO. They also introduced the AC slow-charging shared charging piles integrated with a new business model. Additionally, their self-developed app "DARA GO" integrates charging pile information across Taiwan, allowing EV owners to easily find the nearest charging station. "DARA CLOUD" serves as a cloud-based platform for managing charging station operations, offering a comprehensive, one-stop management solution. As a leader in green energy, DARA POWER aims to maximize the benefits of limited resources, fostering symbiosis and shared prosperity.

Q: DARA POWER provides the market with cost-effective, efficient, and flexible charging solutions. Could you briefly introduce DARA POWER’s products and services, and what are the key factors that allow you to stand out in the market?

The biggest difference between DARA POWER and most third-party charging providers is that we don’t just offer stationary charging stations; we have also independently developed a mobile charging robot, the E-HERO3. It is equipped with a battery and can flexibly service regular parking spaces, expanding the range of service scenarios, such as exhibitions, concerts, and other events where we provide temporary on-site charging. This sets us apart from other charging providers. Additionally, in collaboration with our parent company, Chander Electronics corp., we have developed a DC supercharger, which delivers about twice the power of standard chargers on the market. Our goal is to enhance charging efficiency from 20% to 80%, reducing the charging time from the usual 30-40 minutes to just 5-10 minutes.

To better serve a wide range of EV owners and operators, we developed the dedicated app, DARA GO, which allows users to find all nearby charging stations. DARA POWER also provides real-time information so drivers can see how many charging spots are available at a location and the corresponding rates for the charging services. Additionally, we have integrated the EMS Energy Management System to develop DARA CLOUD, primarily serving site owners and operators. Through this platform, they can access real-time information for each station, charging pile, and individual connector, including transaction records.

In addition, we have identified other market needs. Since most electric vehicle buyers tend to be high-net-worth individuals, many industries are eager to attract this customer base. This has led to cross-industry collaboration inquiries, such as placing advertisements at charging stations. We are able to run ads through our backend system, offering more flexible and diverse services. Ultimately, we aim to integrate the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the ecosystem for strategic partnerships and collaboration, allowing everyone to better serve EV owners. With global awareness of ESG rising and the number of electric vehicles continuing to grow, we hope to invite everyone to move in this direction together and influence governments worldwide to work towards future net-zero carbon policies.

Q: As a leader in green energy charging, could you share your development plans for DARA POWER following its participation in exhibitions, from the perspective of expanding global vision and seizing market opportunities? Are there specific markets you plan to target in the future?

A: We are starting in Taiwan because the population density is sufficient, allowing us to receive feedback more quickly and enabling faster personnel deployment to the site. This helps us continuously accumulate practical experience in both marketing and after-sales service. We have also implemented 24/7 customer service. We hope to promote this successful model overseas, initially targeting the Asian market, particularly Northeast and Southeast Asia. Currently, Japan and South Korea have not widely adopted mobile charging equipment, which presents an opportunity for us. In Southeast Asia, the geography is more fragmented, leading to higher demand for electrical grids, and mobile equipment is well-suited for these areas. Countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are the next markets we plan to develop.

Another advantage of expanding in Taiwan is the presence of a single power grid operated by Taipower. However, once we leave Taiwan, we encounter fragmented grid systems in places like the Philippines and Indonesia. Fortunately, as a subsidiary within our group structure, we have another company, San Jiang Electric Mfg., which specializes in manufacturing transformers. Therefore, when we expand externally and encounter insufficient grid capacity, we can collaborate with local operators to establish the grid. Additionally, San Jiang Electric Mfg. can step in to address the local grid shortcomings, allowing us to leverage group resources for a collective effort.

Q: DARA POWER’s booth planning for the 2024 AI TAIWAN demonstrated market segmentation, using transparent hollow boards and LED lights to convey a sense of technology and brand presence. Could you share what unique experiences you hope to provide to attendees and customers through this booth? Is there a specific area of the booth that is your favorite? What benefits or highlights do you think it brought to the brand?

A: This is DARA POWER's first participation in an exhibition since our founding last year. In collaboration with King One Design, we have utilized transparent hollow boards and a streamlined design to enhance the sense of technology and speed. We specifically chose white as the base color, accented with our brand color of lake green, clearly showcasing DARA POWER's corporate identity and founding spirit. This also represents our commitment to the green energy industry. Beyond making our unique features immediately visible, we will also showcase electric vehicles and our mobile charging robot on-site, making the concept of "fast charging on the go" more tangible. This will increase our interaction with the public and help everyone better understand the benefits that our mobile robot can bring.

Our booth design stands out as quite impressive within the entire exhibition hall, and its transparency further highlights the differences between us and other operators. We are very satisfied with how King One Design helped create a unique experience. After the exhibition, we received many inquiries for collaboration, including from general businesses, residential complexes, and even shopping centers and department stores, all of whom have directly contacted us to explore the possibility of introducing our robots. Therefore, we are extremely pleased with the booth design and the benefits it has brought us.

Q: This year, DARA POWER has collaborated with King One Design to plan charging parking spaces at Honhui Plaza, as well as the booth design for the 2024 AI TAIWAN. Could you share your thoughts on this collaboration? What led you to choose King One Design for this curation?

A: King One Design provided comprehensive services when collaborating with us on the design of the parking spaces at Honhui Plaza, combining brand packaging with professional engineering, which aligns well with our future development direction. We chose King One Design because of their attention to detail and rigor during the proposal process, including accurate budget estimates and timely assistance. I also appreciate how King One Design continuously exchanged ideas with us during discussions, offering many insights we hadn't considered. This is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of collaboration. King One Design is able to propose the most possibilities, allowing us to find the best-fitting methods and structures through ongoing communication.

Q: Could you share your thoughts on DARA POWER's brand image positioning? What feelings do you want to convey to users through the design style of your commercial spaces and exhibition booths?

A: For general third-party charging providers, there is a certain level of investment in the equipment. However, whether it’s in the overall design planning of the charging stations or in the creation of the space, making the area brighter and appearing safer and more trustworthy requires visual support. There is still much room for growth in the industry, and this is the direction we are striving for. King One Design has also put a lot of effort into collaborating with us, providing many valuable ideas.

In addition to stationary charging stations and mobile charging robots, DARA POWER is also discussing the future provision of reservation-based charging services, whether delivered to homes or to roadside parking spaces, in conjunction with roadside assistance. Moving forward, DARA POWER will also build its own flagship stations, requiring designs that align with our brand identity. We aim to create brighter spaces using our brand colors to foster the image of a green energy leader and enhance public favorability toward our brand.

Q: Do you plan to participate in more exhibitions in the future? If given the opportunity to collaborate again with King One Design, what are your expectations and what content would you like to present?

A: We are currently considering participating in next year's Automation Taipei and Energy Taiwan. From our experience at this year's business expo, we realized that the interaction between users, EV owners, and our overall solutions is very important. In addition to our stationary and mobile charging equipment, we want attendees to be able to find charging stations directly through our DARA GO app and activate the charging equipment on-site. During the charging process, we aim to show how DARA CLOUD provides real-time information, allowing regular EV owners to experience the practicality and application of Dala Power’s services. This will also help operators understand how to remotely monitor and manage the systems in the backend. Therefore, we hope to enhance overall interactivity in our future booth designs.

When King One Design plans commercial spaces for clients, they assist in considering practical application possibilities and the overall flow, creating spaces that cater to both client and user needs. For booth designs, they help brands stand out at exhibitions, presenting content that aligns with the brand’s tone while showcasing its strengths. Both commercial spaces and booths are the frontlines where a brand engages with its users. By focusing on the key points that users care about and integrating them into design elements, they express the brand’s consideration for its users, effectively enhancing brand favorability.