Noodoe EV decided to move its headquarters from California to Houston for a variety of factors, said CEO Jennifer Chang.
Geography was a major factor. From its former headquarters in the Los Angeles area, the company was able to service the intense demand in California for charging stations for electric vehicles. But Noodoe EV needed its headquarters to be more geographically centered to better service increasing demand for EV charging stations in Florida, other East Coast states and Texas as well.
"Actually, Texas is a booming market for electric vehicles — cars and trucks," said Chang.
Another reason why Houston made sense for Noodoe EV's new headquarters was the port. The company manufactures its chargers in Taiwan before shipping to the United States. Having the ability to ship from Asia to Houston will help the company with logistics, Chang said.
Noodoe EV develops a range of EV charging technology for roadside charging stations, parking lots, shopping centers and other locations. The firm also develops a cloud-based charger management system for operators, called Noodoe EV OS, which includes automated functions for peak-hour price adjustments, payment processing and billing, infrastructure diagnostics and more. The firm began offering commercial service starting in 2017, and Noodoe EV now has deployed its technology with customers in 12 countries, Chang said.
Given the demand for electric vehicles in California and the West Coast, Noodoe EV will maintain its office in Irvine, California, which will continue to support operations and installations of EV charging stations in those markets. California has a high cost of living for employees and a less business-friendly regulatory environment than Texas does, but California remains one of the world's top EV markets, Chang said.
The company also an office in Taiwan, which focuses on manufacturing, research and development, as well as one in Australia.
Noodoe EV's headquarters is at 9896 Bissonnet St. in southwest Houston. The company currently has three employees based in Houston, and Chang said Noodoe has plans to hire another 10 to 15 workers in the future.
