Tesla is almost always near the top of lists of innovative, disruptive companies. How could it not be? Known for its long-range, electric vehicles and increasing strides on autonomy, the company is an undisputed leader in the innovative-mobility space. So when Neil Golson, head of Tesla’s energy marketing sales and sales operations, North America, announced plans to join FlashParking, it raised a few eyebrows—why would you leave Tesla to work in parking?

Golson says there are simple answers to that question, and he sat down with Parking & Mobility to talk about it. Some highlights:

• “A lot of my focus at Tesla was how people charge their vehicles. You build a super charging network and when people are charging at home, you run off of solar so we’re not building problems. A mobility hub offers a space and a very similar way to think about that challenge.”
• “People are saying they have not only parking customers but mobility companies coming to them, and they’re coming to me saying they know EVs are happening but how do they do it? How many do they need? What does this look like? And how does this all get organized in a way that it’s integrated into their operation and it’s not just an add-on?”
• “A lot of this is about understanding what amenities a consumer needs and what amenities a city needs. You don’t need scooters in Detroit in February but you certainly want them all year in San Diego. The same is true for EV adoption.”
• “I strongly believe that in none of our lifetimes are we going to see less of a need for parking.”

Read more of Golson’s thoughts on parking, innovation, mobility, and how industry professionals can pull it all together for the future in the January issue of Parking & Mobility.