Naomi Nye is a seasoned expert in the electric vehicle (EV) and energy sectors, driving innovation and sustainable solutions for businesses transitioning to electrification. With over a decade of experience in senior roles within the EV industry, she combines her deep knowledge of energy infrastructure, smart solutions, and customer-centric approaches.
As Head of Sales at Drax Electric Vehicles, she plays a key role in delivering end-to-end electrification partnerships to help businesses flourish with EVs. After recently being featured in the Top Women in EV campaign, we’re catching up with Naomi to explore her career journey, the evolving landscape of EV adoption, and how Drax is helping businesses optimise their electrification strategies for a greener future.
Do you drive an EV? If so, what model do you drive and why?
I’ve been driving a full EV for around six years now, and I’m currently driving a Tesla Model 3. This is actually my second Tesla. I really like the style of the car, and I find it very comfortable, which is important to me since I spend a lot of time on the road. The driving experience is intuitive and easy, which makes the overall journey enjoyable. One of the things I love most about my Tesla is the integrated charging infrastructure. The satnav automatically incorporates charging stops into my journey, which means I don’t have to plan ahead too much—other than deciding which coffee to grab while my battery tops up.
Can you take us through your career so far, including how you began to work at Drax Electric Vehicles?
My career began as a financial advisor. However, in 2010, I decided to take a career break. During this time, I joined a local company called Rolec, which is a UK manufacturer of electrical equipment. I started as a Sales Manager in their Leisure sector, which involved working with caravan sites and marinas. Through this, I learned a lot about installing and designing electrical infrastructure, including cable runs, distribution units, and hookups for caravans and boats.
At the same time, the EV industry was starting to emerge. Rolec saw the government funding for domestic charging units as an opportunity to expand into the EV space, and that felt like a natural transition for me. I quickly realised there were many complexities in this field, and I enjoyed finding the best solutions while keeping up with technology and collaborating with others to help transition away from traditional fuels. Over the years, I have worked in senior roles at several charging providers, and my core approach—always striving to provide the best solutions for my customers—has remained the same.
I was drawn to Drax because of our expertise in energy and the fact that we offer a full end-to-end solution, including renewable energy and optimisation services. Drax allows us to partner with customers over the long term, sourcing bespoke solutions to meet their unique needs.
The EV transition requires the development of smart, and future-proofed charging solutions. How is Drax positioning itself to help businesses optimise their electrification journey?
We believe in the value of end-to-end electrification partnerships. From assessing suitability and helping build the business case to installing and maintaining cost-effective, future-proofed EV charging solutions, we’re with customers for the journey.
Our focus on understanding installation sites and operational requirements – and our supplier impartiality – ensures that we implement hardware and software that fits with customers’ needs, budgets and business objectives. And our ability to schedule and orchestrate installations minimises disruption and protects business-as-usual activities.
We take maintenance and ongoing support seriously, updating software and identifying and resolving potential hardware issues before they affect operations. As true partners, we look for optimisation opportunities and track emerging developments to keep customers’ electrification investments ahead of the competition’s.
As part of Drax, we offer reassurance thanks to our scale and heritage. But we also provide a decarbonisation focus that enables customers to make sustainability claims and accelerate their net zero journeys.
The EV transition requires the development of smart, and future-proofed charging solutions. How is Drax positioning itself to help businesses optimise their electrification journey?
The technology behind electrification solutions has evolved significantly over the years, particularly when it comes to how EV charging is installed, accessed, and used by drivers. In the early days, a charging point was simply a socket on the wall. Now, EV charging and the solutions around it have become much more sophisticated.
Software solutions for managing infrastructure have become crucial. The ability to access and control data from charging points, as well as manage energy effectively, is essential to keeping everything running within safe parameters. Payment options have also expanded, making the charging process more convenient for drivers.
Moreover, accessibility for drivers is a key consideration now. It’s about ensuring that the right infrastructure is installed in the right locations and performs in ways that benefit the host. Charging infrastructure has become much more than just a socket on a wall; it’s an asset that can be optimised for energy efficiency, financial viability, and even used to manage energy alongside vehicle batteries through V2G (Vehicle to Grid) and V2X (Vehicle to Everything) technologies.
But education, for me, is still a key factor for hosts and drivers. We have made progress, but there’s still work to do to ensure people are fully educated on how to best use and manage their EV infrastructure.
How do you see collaboration between energy providers, automakers, and governments evolving to further accelerate the shift to emobility?
Collaboration is crucial for achieving a unified, holistic approach to electrification. All the different stakeholders, including energy providers, automakers, and governments, need to work together to ensure the transition to electric mobility is as seamless as possible. However, this is not an easy task, especially with so many different priorities and players involved.
The automotive and tech industries have traditionally been male-dominated. Have you seen a shift in gender diversity with the rise of EVs, and how is Drax Electric Vehicles contributing to that change?
Over the years, I have definitely seen a shift toward more women joining the EV industry, and their voices are becoming louder and more influential. The rise of EVs requires a wide collaboration of different sectors, including hardware manufacturers, software providers, energy companies, and more. This creates many opportunities for people with diverse skill sets, including women.
Encouraging women to join the sector is easier when organisations have strong female leaders who are visible and vocal. It’s also important for companies to foster a culture that values individuals, empowers them to learn and develop their skills, and supports growth through mentorship and training.
It’s about encouraging women to step outside their comfort zones, focus on personal development, and explore flexible working hours. All of these factors contribute to helping women thrive in the industry and be incredibly successful.
Safety and confidence are key issues for many women regarding the EV charging rollout. What do you believe can be done to make EV charging more accessible for women?
To make EV charging more accessible for women, we need to ensure that the infrastructure is installed in a way that is inclusive and safe for everyone. This means considering good accessibility, well-lit areas, and safe public locations for charging points. Making the entire EV charging experience secure and easy for all drivers—regardless of gender—is key.
What would you say to any woman considering a career in the emobility sector?
Go for it! The opportunities in the e-mobility sector are vast, and there’s so much room to make a meaningful impact. If anyone wants to reach out to chat about the industry or seek advice, I would be more than happy to help and support them.
