A Cincinnati-based solar company has opened an investment round after seeing viral interest in its newest product.
GoSun, a solar appliance manufacturer, recently launched its new electric vehicle solar charger and has received more than 1,100 reservations in its first month, which represents more than $3 million in orders.
The company’s soft launch of the product allows customers to reserve the electric vehicle solar charger online for $250 and join the list of people waiting to purchase and receive one once they go to production.
The EV solar charger will cost $3,000 and is expected to ship to customers in mid-to-late 2025.
“We’ve been working on it for a couple of years, trying to come up with a way to literally power a car with available sunshine that falls on the vehicle’s footprint because 98% of the time, a car is just parked in the sun,” Patrick Sherwin, CEO and founder of GoSun, told me.
The product, which is installed on roof racks, is projected to provide up to 30 miles per day with solar energy.
“We knew that there were some issues with respect to power density, that solar wouldn’t be powerful enough to run the entirety of the car,” Sherwin said. “However, when we ran the numbers and did the calculations, it turns out that we can meet the average driving needs of an electric vehicle, even in Cincinnati, for at least 50% of the year,” he added, noting there are complications in using solar energy during winter months.
“I think it’ll be a huge part of the company’s future."
GoSun is currently in the process of certifying its charger and going through regulatory tests to ensure the product’s availability globally.
The company recently launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on StartEngine, a capital market company, in order to raise funds to help scale and develop new products. GoSun’s goal with this round is $5 million. So far, it has raised nearly $196,000 with 114 investors.
GoSun has been a frequent flyer on the crowdfunding site. Sherwin, in fact, declined an offer to pitch GoSun on ABC’s "Shark Tank" in 2014, opting to go this route instead. GoSun has since successfully crowdfunded multiple solar innovations.
“We get a lot more (of an) interested and committed consumer base (with crowdfunding),” Sherwin said. “We have over 3,000 investors and each take a stake and really try to look after the company or support the company versus just one or two venture capitalists.”
Recently, the company, which has 10 employees, moved from its Northside location into a new 15,000-square-foot warehouse headquarters at 5151 Fischer Ave. in St. Bernard.
It also recently partnered with the Cincinnati Hemp Co. in Findlay Market where a section of the store will be dedicated to GoSun’s products. There, Sherwin and the GoSun team plan to feature live demonstrations, offer exclusive in-store discounts and host hands-on workshops.
GoSun's product lineup includes solar ovens, coolers, chargers, water purifiers, boats and off-grid campers, generators and more. Since its inception, GoSun has generated more than $23 million in sales with over 155,000 products shipped to customers in more than 80 countries.
