In 2020, many corporations will be prioritizing sustainability thanks to increased awareness in the consumer market, developments in green tech, and pressure from government policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Uber, Airbnb, Zipcar, Citi Bikes, Lime, Didi Chuxing… the sharing economy has entered our everyday vocabulary and is only going to grow as consumers seek a more sustainable lifestyle and businesses are eager to optimize resource usage.

In the US, trucks contribute to 23% of all transport-related greenhouse gas emissions and roughly 6% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

Besides pressure from growing public awareness, the trucking industry is also facing increasingly stringent regulations. For example, the EPA is expected to release new truck emissions rule in 2020 and some European cities are banning diesel vehicles from entering city centers.

Electrification in transportation will have a profound impact on many sectors in the near future. Not only are governments tightening up regulations and corporations scrambling to find solutions that will allow them to meet new standards without retooling their infrastructure but the tide has also turned in the consumer market where the “green pressure” is on.

I’m in Vantaa right now, where a once-in-a-generation 82% solar eclipse took place just a couple of hours ago. The majestic display of nature’s awesomeness was unfortunately toned down by a foggy haze, so that we all were squinting at the surroundings trying to convince one another that “Yeah, I think it looks a little more gray than half an hour ago. Definitely! Right?”

There is no shortage of “time-proven methods” to start a new business: “build it and they will come”, “fake it until you make it”, “succeed or die trying”, to mention a few.

In reality, of course, things are a little more complicated. Unless you already have the network, skills and financial resources from a successful exit, kicking something new out of the ground is largely an iterative affair. After thinking, writing, pitching, and building stuff (usually a couple times), there comes a time for customer reality and upping the game. Time to shift gears!

Timing, as they say, is everything. Here is the story of why the Tanktwo patents were applied for when they did.