 And we're here at the ID Tech Act show here in Santa Clara and who are you? My name is James Derek's and I'm the founder and creator of the Me Too EV charging system. Me Too EV. Yeah, so what is that? Me Too stands for Mobile Electricity Everywhere. Mobile Electricity Everywhere. So this is an EV electric car, right? Yeah, this is an electric car, battery electric only. But what have you done to it? I turned in the world's first self-charging car. Let's open the trunk. It literally has junk in the trunk and that's no kidding. Junk in the trunk. Think of that. That'd be my motto even though probably ought to be. We use old school lead acid deep saccharin marine batteries. So those are lead acid batteries? Batteries. You put in a trunk. Putting the trunk in under the hatchback. And under? Yeah. Why? So I can have an auxiliary power source to recharge my expensive lithium ion battery that was built into the car. So where did the normal lithium ion batteries go in this car? They're still there. Oh no, the next version I'll take them out. But underneath the whole underbody of the car, up into here, in the hatchback, in the hood compartment are two lithium ion batteries that take up all that space. How heavy are those? 600 pounds. And then you add some lead acid? Yep. How heavy is that? Another 600 pounds. 600 pounds in the trunk? Yep, and 600 pounds in the front. And that's not an issue to have extra 600 pounds? No, because the vehicle's rated to 1200 pounds of cargo in people. But to overcome that, we also add an additional spring kit to it, a spring lift kit. So it'll go down the road better that way. So why do you let lead acid battery? What's special about the lead acid batteries? One, the cost difference, the main battery in the lithium ion vehicle here in the Ford Focus. If I had to replace it today, the local Ford dealer still says it would be $22,000 to upgrade the batteries. Is that the real price for lithium ion? Yes. It's not $10,000. No, hell no. Maybe if you got a leaf or something with only about half the capacity of these, maybe it is. So like a Tesla's battery? How much did that cost? I'm thinking a dollar of water pretty close. So you got a 64 kWh system battery, you're talking 64 grand of that Model S car being that. No, but a 64 grand, that's the price of the whole car. No, that's just the battery. Not just the battery. For a Tesla, yes it is. You really think it's that expensive? Yeah, it's a dollar of water, and that's the minimum that it is right now, or at least last year. They probably do it cheaper, right? Because they have a Gigafactory. They ain't up and running yet. But how much is your 600 pounds battery? For the same, almost what? This battery actually has a hair more. But this has, it weighs 600 pounds and it only costs maybe $1,200 for the power. $1,200 for this whole thing? Yeah, for the battery power only. We're only talking batteries to batteries. The lithium ion batteries cost $22,000 for this car. And you think it's 20 times cheaper? Yes, about 18 times cheaper. Plus, these batteries are far more sustainable. We're only talking about the weight right now only. Yeah, we're only talking weight. But how about the capacity? Almost the same capacity, but the difference is when you compare lithium to lead acid technologies, lithium is less lightweight or more lightweight, but it takes up quadruple the volume. So it takes more space? Yes, it's not really apples to apples. If you looked at kilograms per cubic meters or something of both, lithium is lighter, but it still wouldn't have the same capacity. And it still weighs the same amount for the more volume as lithium. But the people that market lithium ion batteries are geniuses and I wish I could be that way too. So you're not a genius? No, I'm not a genius at all. I'm just a local guy from Iowa who is not even an expert in anything in this, and I'm tired of us being addicted to oil around the world and especially in America. And I want to break our country's oil addiction. Oil still has a purpose in life, but not for running cars anymore. So oil is bad? Yeah, well oil when you're burning it and producing CO2 and nitrous oxide and everything else is bad. So you're a green company? I'm trying to be green. The whole process, the whole sustainability, and that's actually another reason why I went with lead acid batteries, because they are completely sustainable and recyclable, cradle to grave. The lead acid battery, you have the electrolyte, so you recycle the sulfuric acid electrolyte, you chop up the plastic and grind it out and you remount the lead, and it's basically 100% reclaimable. So it's not toxic and dangerous? No, not actually as toxic as the byproducts of a lithium ion battery. And you decommission it because it's like unscrambling an egg. How about explosive? No, you don't have thermal runaway issues with old school lead acid. So it's safe? Yeah, I don't need no coolant system on batteries at all. It doesn't get too hot? No, no, it can actually absorb a quicker rate of charge sometimes without blowing up on you. Isn't dangerous the lead kind of leaks out? Well, we got a solution for that and some trade secrets on that, but it won't be an issue with our go-to-market products. But I thought that lead acid was not as efficient as lithium ion by a bunch. No, no, there's a lot more lead in the world and sulfuric acid in the world than there is lithium chloride in the world. By a factor of probably 100, actually. But isn't lithium ion much more efficient somehow? Here's why people like it. It's the surge capacity to run a Tesla that really just goes 0 to 60. You can pull more energy out quickly, okay? But on the long haul, slow and steady is better than quick and dead, okay? So it doesn't go quick and dead? No, no, no. No, it goes steady. When it charges and when it's parked, how does this work again? So it's actually not powering the car at all, it wouldn't be able to, right? So it's just charging your battery? Yeah, the lithium ion battery, that's correct. Okay, so we have the lead acid batteries here, deep cycle marine, underneath there'll be more. And then it's connected to a pure sine wave 240 volt alternating current inverter. And then the alternating current inverter powers this charger right here. This is a level two home charger that is now filled into the trunk, hardwired in. That's okay. We got mics that are in a very direction. Oh yeah, okay, I forget. Okay, and then you simply plug in, push a button, plug this into the bumper. And then... And all you do? This is the normal charging port. This normal 1772 charging port that all electric vehicles in America use to use at this age, unless they're a Tesla and then they use their own proprietary one. And then all the guys got to do, plug that in there. Plug to plug. Plug to plug, and you're charging the car right now. You're charging the car with the car. With the car. Nobody's done this before? I don't think so. But maybe they have. Maybe I'm reinventing the wheel here, but I've been to a couple of trade shows in electric vehicles and I've never seen anything like what I'm doing. And that's a good sign. Is that your idea? I've heard experts tell me. Oh yeah. It just came to me one day. I had a vision from God and He gave it to me. For real. So, what's next? Not kid around. What do you think about that? How's it been, the show? This is the end of the show right now. Oh yeah. Yeah, it has been the show for me. It's been the show. What? It's been the show. Yeah, this show made it, actually. And I can't say who or what, but we were getting funding because we came here. Somebody said they're going to fund my dream and idea of this. And by coming out here, we got enough money now to get this business off the ground. Said it was worth it to come up here. Oh, what do you think? Yeah, I mean, completely. Completely. And just the publicity, the input from people that have been coming by. So what's next? Do you have some strategy for the business model? Sure. How's it going to be? We're going to actually go to dealerships and set up a dealer network as our main distribution channel. And then also our website and from the Google search stuff to where we're going to be able to take orders and we're going to find installers that are ASC mechanics and put these kits on on their dealership. So this is a Ford, but you don't need to talk with Ford at all, right? No, no. It's just an add-on. An add-on. I don't tie into any Ford systems. You make a hole in the trunk or no? Well, yeah, but that's the hole in the trunk. I guess I'll be liable for that, but that'd be the only thing. There's a little hole in the side to put it all in, and that's all I'm doing. So the people who bought the car lose the warranty? No, no. They shouldn't? They shouldn't. They should not at all, because all I'm doing is supplying power like if I was at a curbside charger, because I do not integrate into the Ford at all. And my product has isolated grounds, so it can't even be back-feeding power into the Ford. How slow or what's the speed of charging? Well, at a parking charge now, like you plow in the parking place and it has one of these connectors of 1772 on it, a level two charger, it'll still take about two and a half hours, two to two and a half hours, okay? To charge a whole car? To charge this car, because the bottleneck is not the power that can be provided to it. The bottleneck is the absorption rate of the lithium-ion battery on its charger that we're supplying alternating current to. And on this car here, in particular, it's a 2013 car, its standard has 6.7 kilowatts of absorption rate per hour, like 28 and a half to 29 amps of 240 volt power. And that's all these will do, because you can put 100 amps to it, but it's only going to draw the 28 and a half to 29 in. So it takes two and a half hours from here to there? Yeah. Does it take the same time from a car from a thing? Yes. On a regular charger, not a fast charger? No, no, just a regular level two. So how long does it take to charge that battery? Okay. When you get home at night, you plug in this 50 amp, 240 volt plug into your wall, it's an RV plug, it's called a 1450. So you need an RV charger at home? No, you just need a wall, a plug like this at home, a plug in with one of these. How many volts? 240 volts, 50 amps. 50 amps. Yeah, so whatever that is, watt-wise, and then you simply then plug this in into the car, okay? Yeah. And this in into the wall, and then it'll charge up both in about two and a half, three hours at home as well. That one, two and a half, three hours. Yes. And the lithium at the same time. And the lithium. Yes. Why? Because it goes through there and there. Well, because this has the lead acid battery charger built in that fills up this, and it still continues through the loop. So you plug that one too at the same time? Yeah. So how many recharge cycles do you have? Oh, that's a good point too. Now, there's a wives' tale going around that, you know, that these won't work well and only so many depths of discharge. But the battery manufacturer we're working with has studies and they have things, and they tell me that even if I discharge them a hundred percent, death of discharge, like no energy in them at all, or like 10 volts or something, right? Then I can get 500 cycles. 500, yeah. 500 recharges before I get to worry about anything. The lithium ion would be... Well, it can go further. The modern ones can do more, right? Yeah, but if I only discharge these 85% death of discharge, it's 2,500 cycles. So that's like 2,500 days divided by 365. We're talking six, seven years, man. Can you put a limiter so you never cross the 85%? Yeah, I can use a voltage limiter, current limiter, whatever I want, to turn on a relay and switch everything off. That's simple. And that's what we're going to have on it. And you sure there's no issue with this idea, right? There's nothing wrong. It just works. Yeah, it works. Did you drive all the way from Iowa with this? Yeah, well, I didn't drive it all the way here because I had to trailer it because I had to get here quicker. But I drive this in rural Iowa every day. And if you can get around there the closest, again, public charger, I'm going to say 36 to 40 miles away. And in the city that I'm from, or close by, that's got like 200, 250,000 people, there's only like six level two public chargers with that plug-in. Six chargers in one city. For the whole city. Yeah. So you tell me, and none of them have some work to do, right? Yeah. Well, I have some work to do. We're going to electrify the whole country. All right. So there's only six chargers in the city? Yeah. And I should point out, like I told some other people here today, three of them aren't open 24, only when they're open for business hours. Otherwise, you can't use their charger because it's got a RF card. And if you don't have that, they don't turn it on. So you never use those public chargers, right? I don't have to, no. Not at all. But you can still come back home? Yeah. By plugging in my parking lot and going to work. How many times have you done that thus far? Quite a few. Yes, sir. I haven't kept track, but I was one time. It is new, right? Yeah, yeah. We've done this. And yes. And you know what else? One time we had one mile left to battery death on this car, pulled along on the highway, plugged it in. On the highway. And had it pulled over on the side of the road and was able to charge up to get the rest of the way home. And that's what we're doing. And this will open up the door to the average man getting an EV and having the range to go back and forth to work and commute everywhere and everywhere. And that's, we got pictures here on this flyer. Maybe that'll come in or not. We're along a river in the state park in rural Iowa and we're charging this car there, off-grid completely. There's no plug-ins around on this one. Now this one we show it hooking up to a 50 amp RV plug-in right here. And then this is in front of a hotel called the Lincoln Highway Hotel. And it's really interesting that the Lincoln Highway was done roughly 100 years ago when we had Model T's. And President Lincoln's wanted to free the slaves, right? So we want to free our nation's energy addiction. We want to free our country's energy slavery just on the Lincoln Highway. That's where it's starting. That's why it's prophetic for us to say that. But that's what we're doing. So you go to work, you plug your car to your car and then you go back home. Correct. After you've done work. After you've been here a couple of hours. Yeah. So it's perfect for your commute. And then the further on version that we actually filed a provisional on too will be Android and iPhone controlled and you'll be able to turn on the climate control inside the vehicle. Say 15 minutes before you're ready to leave your office so you're already charged up too and the vehicle's already hot or cold. All right. So the EV is definitely happening, right? Yeah. In this country. Yeah. It's the wave of the future. Are you going to sell outside the US? We're hoping to. Business partners, strategic partners in the US, the EU, China, Australia, the whole world. She's just contacting you right now. How about what do you do before this project? Oh, I had another business that failed because of 9-11. I used to make baby products, actually. I made strollers. What did you have to do with 9-11? Oh, it happened because 9-11 caused a ripple in the US economy where people didn't buy things. I lost purchase orders. My manufacturers went out of business. I couldn't get my parts made. So you made a baby stroller. Yep. Yeah, believe that or not. Yeah, a car seat and stroller. The only American manufacturer is strollers. So you like an inventor, right? I am an inventor. But 9-11 really caused me a lot of personal problems because I was in the war earlier and I seen a building across the street from me get blown up and when the first tower fell with all the fire engines and EMT people and all that, something went off in my mind and I lost my ability to do what I used to do anyway because they said they had chronic to- You were in military. Yes. They said chronic to- PTSD. PTSD that was- Oh, hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? We need those papers, yeah. You got these papers? Yeah. Okay, thanks. No problem. No problem. No problem. No, no, I'm glad you caught it. Yeah, cool. We just need the papers. No problem. Thank you. All right. Good luck with the future and looking forward to- Yeah, yeah. And just going back- See some news about what you do next. Yeah. Oh, and what we're doing next, one thing I should explain also is I have to park in charge right now because the manufacturer, the EVs put safety control features on here. So when this is plugged into this port you can't put the vehicle in drive. It won't let you. It like locks up the transmission in park. But in the future, we're going to hopefully partner with a few of these manufacturers and we're going to hardwire that into the- So you want to charge while you drive? Charge and drive is the next- Is that safe? Yeah. And that's- But is that going to be possible? Yeah, it is. But it will charge- This cord won't be hanging out here. Then you use the battery on- Yeah, but it's still charged and drive. Charged something. Yeah. So you get like 30, 40% extra range or something, maybe. You know, you get all the extra range you'll be doing and it just fills up the battery that way from the back to the front. But you won't have this thing hanging out. You won't have an extension cord at all. You just need to update, hack the firmware on the Tesla or something. That's what I'm doing. Yeah, just hack the firmware. When I have the funding, we're going to take one apart. And how about this idea? I don't know if you should say that. How about this idea where you could go into some kind of place and they swap you a full one with an empty one and just continue driving? Yeah, too complicated. It's cheap battery, right? Yeah, cheap battery is still too complicated. You automate it. Maybe you know more than me. You come on board and help me. No, no. Hey, thanks. Thanks.