FOUNDERS UNFILTERED: Q&A WITH CHARLES ANDERSON, CHAIRMAN AT VOLT QUADS
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THE EV QUADBIKES MADE FOR FARMERS BY FARMERS
This month, Charles Anderson, Chairman of Volt Quads is our Founder Unfiltered. Volt Quads designs and manufactures electric ATVs for landowners and farmers. Its first bike, the VQ, has been designed by a British farmer to prioritise what British farmers and HNW Landowners need: performance, reliability, and safety.
It offers farmers and landowners a bike specifically built to deal with difficult British terrain, while alleviating cost pressures. The VQ costs £3,500 less to own than a comparable petrol ATV over five years.
Q: What’s the scrappiest thing you’ve done so far to make progress?
Getting out of a completely unproductive contract for a new battery design, despite the time and money we had already invested in it. Sometimes you have to accept the sunk costs, make the difficult decision and move on.
Q: Which purpose-led company, other than your own, do you most admire, and why?
Naturalmat, based in Topsham, Devon, which handcrafts organic, natural mattresses. They have great values and products, a genuine commitment to the environment, and an approach to both supply chain support and customer care that is first class.
Q: What are you most excited about with your business right now?
The thrill of the chase. After spending 12 months developing the product and launching the company, it is incredibly exciting to now be dealing with inbound sales enquiries from people who are genuinely interested in what we have built.
Q: What story about Volt Quads has landed best with the media, and why?
A number of stories have landed well for different reasons. The farm machinery journal struck a good balance between the story behind the business and the product itself, while the Western Daily Press reached exactly the right audience and covered the launch particularly well.
Q: What's one book you think everyone should read?
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. It is a book I often come back to because it reminds me that one courageous person can make a real and positive difference.
Q: Finish this sentence: Success looks like…
Success looks like a happy and committed Volt Quads team building a business that is recognised for market-leading products. Just as importantly, it means earning outstanding loyalty from our customers.
Q: One word you hope people use to describe you, and one word for Volt Quads?
For me: integrity. For Volt Quads: uncompromising.