Mark Avery is the founder & CEO of Bell Resources, a new age energy technology company focused on developing profitable operations in three areas: EV Charging (including car washing), Renewables and Lithium-ion batteries in short to medium term.

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Hey Mark, thanks for joining us today for Startup Stories. To kick things off, can you tell us a little about Bell Resources and what inspired you to launch the company?

The name Bell Resources is a tribute to the inventors of the Bell Solar Battery which was the world’s first solar cell in 1954. The idea stemmed from recognising that Australia is a leader in rooftop solar PV adoption and the uptake has been incredibly promising. Realising that if Australia wanted to take real action, then the 2 million households across the country that have installed rooftop solar need to double down on their environmental efforts.

That means helping more Australians make the switch to a cleaner mode of transport by enabling the ridesharing and transportation sectors through electric vehicle fast charging. Bell is at the heart of this and our mission is to get everyday Australians across the country to go out and buy an EV, reduce their carbon footprint and cut their emissions– by giving them an easy, accessible and hassle-free place to charge up.

What is it that makes you passionate about Australia’s renewables and electric vehicles industries? 

Australia is facing an important turning point and the electrification of industries – from freight trains in transport and logistics to commercial airlines – could completely change the contours of many traditional business models today as the rise of grid-scale batteries become more prominent and our thinking about urban infrastructure changes as well. Considering this, it’s an extremely exciting sector to be a part of and I’m incredibly passionate about playing a role in Australia’s EV adoption, it really is the dawn of a completely new era. 

Switching gears a little to talk about your role as a founder and CEO, how do you define culture? 

Culture to me means unity, taking a unified step towards a common goal. We’ve seen the federal government step forward to lay the policy foundations of EV adoption in Australia, this will see us all make a significant move towards our net zero emissions target by 2050. Australia is in charge of its own legacy and what mark we will want to leave on the generations to come. 

What does innovation mean to you? What is your individual philosophy when it comes to entrepreneurship or what is Bell’s company ethos? 

Bell Resources is a new age technology company which focuses on developing cutting-edge and innovative solutions across EV ultra-fast charging, renewables, and lithium-ion batteries to power the technology of tomorrow. What we are doing is recognising that Australia’s energy mix is shifting, driven by technological improvements and environmental concerns and delivering for our customers is an integral part of our company ethos. More than ever, there is an opportunity to create a next generation resources company that meets those changing needs. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what has been the most rewarding part about building a startup in your journey so far. 

The purpose of Bell Resources is to help accelerate the transition of the transportation sector to clean energy through a shift to sustainable sources with zero carbon footprint. Seeing this gradually come to fruition and driving that transition through Bell has been the most rewarding part in addition to playing an active role in keeping the national conversation firmly focused on the virtues of electric vehicles versus traditional combustion engine models.  

Related to that, what have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced since establishing Bell Resources? 

Seeing the real lack of consistent policy framework from the federal government to date on electric vehicles and the number of large institutions sitting on the fence has been very challenging. Despite being at such a pivotal point, Australia’s hesitance has held back the EV space enormously and not allowed it to prosper as freely, and we are actively seeking to address this barrier to adoption.

Once we get Australia’s policy framework right, it opens up the doors for institutional funding and therefore the funding floodgates from institutional investors follows. The government is de-risking it as far as institutional investors are concerned, it’s far more than just the policy settings. 

How would you describe the team at Bell?  

The team at Bell are all passionate, inspiring, and dedicated individuals who are actively working towards accelerating Australia’s EV revolution. We are building the bricks and mortar to help cement our renewables legacy in Australia, powered by electric vehicles across consumer, fleet and business applications.

Our team believes Australia must be brave and bold in setting a new narrative for accelerating renewable energy uptake, and it’s pleasing to see that our ambition is now shared by state governments like NSW, ACT and Victoria as well our national electricity market operator. 

Wrapping things up, what excites you most about the future of Bell?

What is clear is that Australians are already making the switch and the appetite for EVs in Australia can no longer be ignored. Electric car sales in Australia were up to 1,700 in July alone, 400% in the same month last year. More than 9,000 EVs have been sold in Australia so far this year and we are firmly on target to hit 10,000 sales by the end of this month. And that’s without any national EV fast-charging infrastructure.

Australia is at a critical turning point, and we are about to see the floodgates open for mainstream EV adoption once institutional uptake begins to pick up. Business and fleet use of electric vehicles will become a mandatory aspect of ESG considerations as more and more Australian businesses look to reduce their carbon footprint. The future looks promising and we’re excited to be powering the transition to cleaner transport and the mainstream adoption of EVs across Australian households and businesses.

Are you looking for a startup or scaleup recruitment agency? We can help connect you with world class talent around the globe, get in touch with us today!