Waev, maker of GEM tiny-car, scores former Google exec as new COO

Electric mobility company Waev has just named Alfredo Arroyo as the chief operations officer and a senior vice president of the company.

The name Waev may be new to you, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen at least one of the company’s three electric vehicle lines.

Waev’s GEM vehicles are neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) that fit into the low-speed vehicle (LSV) category, making them street legal in the US. They’ve proven popular as both consumer and commercial vehicles and are commonly seen driving around planned communities, college campuses, airports, and other large venues.

Waev also produces the Taylor-Dunn line of commercial vehicles, including cargo vehicles and people movers. The company’s Tiger division produces tractors designed for moving airplanes and heavy machinery.

The company’s hiring of Arroyo points to an investment in operations as Waev passes its one-year anniversary after being spun out of Polaris.

Waev cites “strong market demand” as well as “significant growth opportunities” as creating the need, bringing in the next level of operations leadership. Arroyo is set to lead Waev’s global supply chain and manufacturing operations. His onboarding marks the first c-level hire for Waev since the company split from Polaris.

The hiring comes at a time when Waev is spooling up operations, as CEO Keith Simon explained:

The opportunity for Alfredo to quickly accelerate operational momentum comes at a critical time in our business. A robust global supply chain and efficient manufacturing operations are paramount as enablers for future success, and Alfredo is the perfect person for the job. We’re stoked to have him join the Waev team.

Waev brings in former Google lead Arroyo

Arroyo spent a decade at Google in various senior roles within contract manufacturing, enterprise solutions, supply chain management, and logistics execution. He was one of Google’s lead architects for the company’s vast ecosystem of people/processes/tools in service of global data center deployments. According to Waev, Arroyo also helped design, engineer, and operations manage Google’s first-ever fully automated site while being recognized internally with the prestigious Feats of Engineering award. Alfredo also managed Google Cloud’s data center and logistics operations in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland while overseeing major expansions into the European cloud markets.

At Waev, he’ll hit the ground running with his hands full, as the company already produces, sells, and supports three unique electric vehicle lines.

It’s a challenge that Arroyo seems excited about, and he detailed his goals for Waev’s expanding operations:

This is an exciting opportunity to step in as Waev’s first COO and begin working with the team to quickly advance operational capabilities in support of our growing customers and markets – especially as electrification adoption reaches critical mass within the U.S. and around the world. Keith and I worked together earlier in my career and we’ve always managed to stay in touch. Things naturally connected after Keith reached out and presented the opportunity. I am impressed with what these guys have done at Waev – both the business they have built and equally the team culture they have created.

Electrek’s Take

I’m more familiar with GEM than Taylor-Dunn and Tiger, but all three brands are playing an important role in providing real options for electric vehicles in consumer and commercial roles.

They’re damn expensive, but they’re also some of the few options available on the market for companies that are ready to embrace the advantages of electrification.

I’m surprised to see that Waev waited this long to install a COO after slipping out from under the massive umbrella of Polaris, but bringing in new leadership shows that the company is ready to make some moves. It will be exciting to follow along and see what this means for Waev.