ZD Energy is working on many exciting projects on robotic charging. It really is changing the world. The IfM has been instrumental in teaching me the skills, knowledge, attitude, and motivation to keep advancing this industry.

Dr Amy Shang

Who: Dr Amy Shang, CEO at ZD Energy

What: PhD from the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM)’s Centre for International Manufacturing (CIM) focused on the emerging EV industry, 2010/14

Why: To accelerate the world’s transition to EVs for a more sustainable, less polluted world.

Amy’s journey from PhD researcher at the IfM to CEO of ZD Energy, the world’s largest manufacturer of EV chargers, highlights the power of mission-driven learning. Motivated by her polluted hometown in China, her research explored the EV industry through an ecosystem lens. Her work at the IfM laid the foundations for a career focused on sustainable transport - first at Tesla, where she led EV charging expansion in the UK and Asia-Pacific region, and now at ZD Energy, where she’s driving global innovation in EV charging infrastructure. From launching robotic chargers to building solar-powered stations, Amy continues to accelerate the industry’s growth, particularly in emerging markets. Her story reflects how the skills, mindset, and purpose nurtured at the IfM can shape global leaders and deliver real-world impact.

Impactful learning

Amy came to the IfM with a goal in mind: to advance the emerging EV industry. Having completed a BSc in Economics from University College London and an MSc in Sociology from the University of Oxford, she was ready to tackle a new challenge in this evolving field and help to shape its future direction.

“Coming from an industrial city in China that was heavily polluted because of transport emissions, I was motivated to do something to help. I chose to complete my PhD at the IfM in Cambridge because I wanted my research to have an impact, and I knew this was the place where that would happen,” says Amy.

Under the supervision of the IfM’s Dr Yongjiang Shi and Dr Jagjit Singh Srai, Amy’s research explored the EV industry through a holistic ecosystem lens, conducting multiple case studies with EV original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), policymakers, charging manufacturers, and other players across the supply chain. Alongside her PhD dissertation, Amy (co-)authored six published research papers stemming from her work, all aimed at understanding the ecosystem capabilities required for the emerging EV sector to grow.

Amy (right) at the Tesla Cambridge store launch with (left to right) Dr Carlos Lopez-Gomez, Dr Yongjiang Shi and Professor Tim Minshall.

Beyond her research, the community, collaboration, and openness of the IfM stood out to Amy and left a lasting impression on her career. She has since built this ethos into her management style, encouraging her employees to mingle and learn from one another.

“The IfM provides a wonderful, warm, and supportive environment for students,” Amy says. “I remember that every Friday, we had Bun’s Talk, where researchers from diverse disciplines would share inspiring insights. After the talk, students, researchers, and visiting professors would mingle over cake and engage in stimulating discussions. I learnt so much from experts across various fields, and some of these connections blossomed into lifelong friendships.”

The journey

After graduating in 2015, Amy joined the Tesla Supercharger team as a project developer, leading the growth of Tesla’s Destination Charger and Supercharger Programme in the UK.

“My time at the IfM taught me the importance of purpose — the IfM is incredibly mission-driven. All of its projects make a meaningful impact, from developing sustainable supply chains to fostering open innovation, and this has had a huge influence on my personal career choices. After graduating, I joined Tesla because of its mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,” Amy explains.

Amy at the Tesla office.

At the time she joined, there were no commercial EV chargers in the UK and very few electric car owners. Armed with insights from her PhD research on the future impact of EVs, she led Tesla’s Destination Charging Program from 0 to 1, enabling 200+ charging stations to go live by 2017 and expanded Supercharger sites in major highway stations to enable EV users’ long-distance travel.

“We focused on introducing our charging stations in restaurants, pubs, and hotels, where it was convenient for EV owners to charge. But it was challenging as there were so few electric vehicles on the road, it took a lot of persistence to knock on the doors of potential partners and explain our mission and vision,” recalls Amy. “We made huge progress in those 2 years and really contributed to the acceleration of EV adoption in the UK, and that has always been our mission”

Thanks to her success in the UK, Amy was promoted to Project Manager at Tesla Asia-Pacific, where she led all new charging programmes across the region, covering Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan and southern China.

“My mentors and professors at the IfM always encouraged us to tackle difficult challenges creatively and think critically. While building Tesla’s charging network back in 2015, we faced significant obstacles every day, as no one had done it before. I really benefited from the growth mindset I developed at the IfM, which instilled in me the courage to approach tough problems and the ability to think outside the box,” says Amy.

Impactful people

Amy is now CEO of ZD Energy, the world’s largest manufacturer of EV chargers. To date, the company has shipped over 2 million chargers worldwide and supplies 80% of automotive OEMs, accounting for more than 70 car brands.

Amy at the launch of the first robotic fast charging station and ZD Energy’s R&D centre in Qatar.

Since joining ZD Energy in 2023, she has helped to take the company from strength to strength. Initially appointed as Director for the Middle East and Europe, she built the team from scratch and launched the company’s overseas business. Building on the skills cultivated at the IfM, and developed at Tesla, she led her team to launch the first robotic charging station in the Middle East and opened ZD Energy’s first overseas R&D centre at the Qatar Science & Technology Park. Currently, ZD Energy’s charging solutions are live in more than 20 countries, with a huge presence also in Southeast Asia and South America.

“ZD Energy was actually one of my PhD case studies when I was researching the industry a decade ago,” remarks Amy. “It was a startup in China at the time. The founder, Dr Jimmy Huang, who has decades of experience in the automotive industry, had the vision for the EV industry to thrive and the determination to innovate. ZD Energy was one of the first official partners for Tesla China regarding EV charging installation. I am thrilled to be able to contribute to ZD Energy’s continuous development and the growth of this meaningful industry.”

ZD Energy’s robotic fast chargers, charging autonomous EVs transporting baggage, at Hong Kong International Airport

ZD Energy is now leading a host of exciting and groundbreaking projects that are shaping the future of the EV industry, including:

• constructing one of the world’s first automotive quality standard robotic charger assembly lines
• building the first solar-powered robotic fast charging station in the Middle East
• launching 12 robotic chargers at Hong Kong International Airport, used to charge autonomous vehicles transporting passengers and baggage
• accelerating EV adoption in South East Asia, South America and the Middle East by building local manufacturing capabilities, transferring knowledge & training local talents to enable the local EV ecosystem to flourish

When asked about her career aspirations, Amy says, “I’m driven to keep advancing this industry because it is so impactful and important. Currently, there is a race in the EV industry to achieve full automation. ZD Energy is working on many exciting projects on robotic charging. It really is changing the world. The IfM has been instrumental in teaching me the skills, knowledge, attitude, and motivation to keep pursuing it.”

The IfM featured Amy as part of its From Learning to Impact series of interviews on the leaders and change-makers of the future originally published on the IfM Medium blog