Imperfect EV conversions – The Joy of Building and Feeling Useful

Gone are the days when an inventor would tinker in his own farm, develop a new tractor, bicycle or car and use it for what it was: a useful tool. Today, most of the new inventions revolve around profits. The majority of the western world, particularly in first world countries, thinks that inventions need to be protected, licensed and exploited for profits. They think that their sole purpose is to make us rich, or at least pay for themselves. Modern societies have benefitted vastly from commercializing innovations and I think that intellectual property protection served as a catalyst for inclusive institutions to flourish, allowing for societies that see technological advancement as a way of life, and therefore, increase our odds of survival. In other words, intellectual property and its commercialization is good.

I know that the previous paragraph sounds like a mouthful, so if you’re still reading, here’s my point: innovation is not owned by corporations. Corporations CAN and DO innovate, but nothing stops you from trying it yourself, not even in the EV world, where technology seems so complex and overwhelming.

What does innovation have to do with EV conversions? EV conversions are nothing new, the technology has existed for longer than we think. But innovation is triggered by exploring, playing and trying new things. Tinkering.

Build a life of fulfilment

Kids play, animals play, and adults should try it to. Playing is the act of exploring our environments, and it’s a powerful tool to learn new things. In adulthood, it could even be a way of leading a happier life.

Fulfilment is something we all strive for, but not everyone understands what it might mean for themselves, so here’s a quick tip: if you’re reading this blog, most likely you like to build things, and maybe that is part of your life’s fulfilment.

Going back to the first article of our SPARK methodology series, you might recall that I suggested EV conversions are a form of expression, more so than a strictly useful, purpose-driven activity. In most industrialized nations today, an electric vehicle can be bought from the used market at a relatively affordable price in comparison with some of their ICE counterparts. So building an EV conversion for the sole purpose of transportation does not make the most sense (in most cases!).

So why would anyone build an EV conversion?

Building things makes us feel joy. It makes us feel capable, useful, and fulfilled.

When someone builds new things and uses them, there’s this feeling of “hey look what I did!”. I think it’s an instinct, possibly an evolutionary trait that causes amusement, joy, hope, which we want to share with the world. How many times have we fixed something seemingly insignificant and wanted to share it with our significant other, friends, or family? Or even social media!

Have you ever searched YouTube for tutorials on how to fix things? (Rhetorical question, I doubt anyone still reading this blog would answer ‘no’) These tutorials are very easy to find for most things; there’s always a person very proud of what they did trying to share it with others. This is no coincidence; I strongly believe it is evolution unfolding right in front of our eyes. Maybe it’s a tool to spread knowledge, generate a sense of community, or create hope in others that things can be better if we put the effort.

Imperfection as a tool

Building things = fulfilment. But what should we aim to build? Honestly, whatever you feel like. But keep it imperfect.

OEM’s need to keep things very efficient, precise and controlled in order to replicate the product at a mass scale. Corporations have mastered the art of producing seemingly identical products at a scale our ancestors would have never imagined, and that has changed the world. The USA won World War II mainly thanks to the military industrial complex. Many people have access to food, shelter, clothing, and medicine thanks to mass scale production. We have cars to love thanks to it too.

But we tinkerers don’t have to do that. We don’t need to be super precise with every little measurement, material or calculation. Imperfection is part of what makes things interesting to build: how many trips to the hardware store does it take to install a supercharger? Or replace a clutch? Things sometimes won’t go well, and for certain projects, it’s for the better.

I advocate for imperfect projects even though I make a living trying to achieve the ever-elusive idea of ‘perfection’ at an OEM. The reason why I do this is simple: I see projects, such as EV conversions, as a form of fulfilment; something that helps me translate my knowledge, skills and passion for learning into a tangible (and hopefully drivable) object. It makes me feel like playing with Legos or building cities out of carboard boxes for my Hot Wheels cars. It causes frustration that can be overcome by learning.