He Built the Tesla of Off-Road | Jonathan Powers, Super Powers Mobility (SPM)

He helped integrate the Cybertruck. Now, he’s building the machine that will beat gas-powered off-roaders at their own game.When Polaris refused to sponsor his racing career, Jonathan Powers didn't quit—he decided to become their competition. A former engineer at Honda and Tesla, Jonathan founded Super Powers Mobility (SPM) to prove that the future of off-roading isn't just electric... it's silent, durable, and insanely powerful.Today, we prove that with a real test drive.In this episode of Thought Liters, we sip a local flight and discuss:Why the Cybertruck is actually an off-road beast (and what he learned from it).The "Villain Origin Story" that launched a startup.Why hardware startups should launch in Pittsburgh, not Silicon Valley.Finally, a real life demo in the dirt: watch us take the SPM prototype up a vertical dirt wall.Connect with Jonathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathancpowers/PREORDER THE SPM KIT: https://spm.fun/evkPREORDER THE SPM TURNKEY EPEX: https://spm.fun/epex00:00 Teaser: Can electric conquer the wild?01:06 Intro: What is Super Powers Mobility?02:43 From Dirt Bikes to Formula SAE07:28 Becoming a Pro Racer (and creating a Villain)11:37 Learning from Honda & The Tesla Cybertruck20:10 The "Aha" Moment: Why EVs dominate off-road24:00 The Strategy: Powertrains & Conversion Kits30:52 Surviving Stealth Mode & The Launch33:35 Why Build Hardware in Pittsburgh?41:51 Advice for Hardware Founders45:48 THE DEMO: Ripping the Electric UTV49:19 Final Thoughts & OutroThis episode concludes our Six Pack mini-series with Innovation Works, spotlighting the founders and leaders building Pittsburgh's future.#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.