Hello Electrified readers, I’m Ken Brubaker, the new Editor of electrifiedmag.com at Power Automedia. I’m excited to be taking the reins at Electrified!

My Fixation with Electronics and Electricity Began Early

In my younger years I mostly thought about two things: cars and electrical stuff. There was no internet back then so my electrical and electronics education was hands-on. This didn’t always go well and sometimes I learned about electricity the hard way. Like the time I inserted the power wires of my dad’s 12V vacuum tube CB radio into my bedroom’s power outlet. I was the kid who took radios, cassette recorders, and electric motors apart to see how they worked. The Radio Shack catalog and its pages full of diodes, transistors, and other electrical paraphernalia held my interest for hours. I was 12 years old when I started buying DIY electronics kits. Along the way I taught myself (through trial and error) how to solder. I built a couple circuit boards from scratch just for kicks when I was 13. Other kids thought I was a dork when I got really excited about some potentiometers and photocells that I bought with money I made cleaning an apartment building. As a teenager I had also formed an unhealthy obsession with two-way radios. The young me tore apart several walkie-talkies to see how the heck it took my voice and hucked it invisibly. And I spent far too much time messing with antennas to improve radio range.

The Early Years of Being a Gearhead

I was also a gearhead. As a young lad I would often hop on my bicycle and ride the 12 blocks to our local Chevy dealer. Hours were spent perusing vehicles and their window stickers. I couldn’t remember almost anything they tried to teach me in school, but I could meticulously recite the contents of sales brochures (remember those?) from just about any automotive manufacturer. Learning to drive took place in a 1967 Rambler American that had six-cylinder power (I use that term “power” loosely), no power brakes, and no power steering. Shortly after, I passed my driver test behind the wheel of a 1976 Ford LTD. First car: a 1972 Plymouth Scamp that blew ballast resistors at an alarming rate. I learned to carry spares.

Somehow, I Ended Up An Automotive Journalist

Through an incredible, and welcome, twist of fate I somehow ended up an automotive journalist. My first journalism gig was 34 years ago at the time of this writing. I etched my early stories in stone with a chisel by firelight, not true, but I am old. Through the years I’ve seen incredible things transpire in the automotive and publishing world. For example, on the automotive side I’ve seen the rise and domination of electronic fuel injection. On the publishing side, I went from developing 35mm film in my kitchen to digital photography. And I’ve been a part of the evolution from print to digital publications. Over the years I’ve attended more automotive new vehicle press events than I can recall, photographed hundreds of vehicle features, worked with scores of shops to install automotive aftermarket products, and even built multi-day automotive events from scratch.

Embracing The Digital Age

My fascination with electronics and tech and my career in the automotive publishing industry wonderfully merged in the mid- ’90s with the onslaught of the internet. I joined one of the first automotive web magazines and among other things created what I called “Almost Live” updates from the field. This was long before the fast and reliable internet infrastructure we have today. Thus, back then it wasn’t easy to get Almost Live stories to the web. I was using a slow dial-up internet connection, a painfully slow computer, and a rudimentary digital camera. The process was miserably slow and peppered with glitches but cutting edge for the time. In the end, content posted to the website “quickly,” which was quite the deal and it contributed to the website’s success. In the years since I’ve been involved in all aspects of web publishing as it has evolved with software and better tools.

First Hybrid Experience: Lexus RX400h

My first real interaction with an electrified vehicle was in 2005. I was on the media press event for the 2006 Lexus RX400h hybrid SUV. The vehicle had three electric motors and a gas engine. For me it was a watershed moment, the amalgamation of electrical powertrain and the automobile. Two of my favorite things. A few months later I was behind the wheel of a 2005 Chevy Silverado hybrid pickup truck. It was far different than the RX400h, offering engine start-stop and 120V power through outlets. It was interesting to see hybrid tech being integrated into a 1/2-ton truck. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to drive electrified vehicles of various types. I’ve hunted for places to charge them, and blew breakers trying to charge them at hotels (hey, it’s where they told me to plug in). As the electrified revolution picked up speed I immersed in the tech. And as we all know, the tech is very fascinating.

The Plan For Electrified

Electrifiedmag.com launched in early 2023 so it’s almost brand spankin’ new at the time of this writing. It’s also in a unique position. It was specifically designed as a publication to cover all things electrified. The world’s about-face to electrification is wide ranging and includes things that travel on land, water, and in the air. It also includes public and private charging systems and much more. Here’s the point: There are many facets to the world of electrification and Electrified will be all over ’em, offering something for everyone. It’s also important to note that readers of Electrified cover a broad spectrum. This includes those who have experienced new EVs and electrified products as well as newbies that have questions. Electrified will have content for all experience levels. Also, the plan for electrified will include hands-on testing of some of the newest EVs as well as bikes, scooters, and so on. And since charging is a major facet of owning any electrified product, especially automobiles, we’ll be digging into Level 2 home chargers as well as public chargers. I can’t give away all our game plan (we have competitors), but count on some cool stuff coming.

The Bottom Line

In the end I want you to be happy with the time you spend on Electrified and return often. If there’s something you’d like to see on the site please email me at contact@electrifiedmag.com. And of course, you can find Electrified (@electrifiedmag) on several social media sites. Let’s enjoy the electrified lifestyle together.