What’s your first thought when the alarm clock goes off in the morning?
We are all motivated by different things which can vary as we go through life.
Below are some of the elements of my journey to date and why I founded Electric Car Home. It’s never linear. You can easily end up doing something you never imagined a few years earlier.
It’s all about finding your true passion.
David Lewis: Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle Consultant, Trainer and Communicator
David Lewis talking about electric vehicles at the British Motor Show
Climate Change
What makes you get out of bed in the morning? For me, it’s an all-consuming desire to help people lead more sustainable lives – as quickly as possible.
Why? Because the scientific evidence is pointing towards environmental catastrophe ahead, unless we act now, fast and decisively.
Do you feel there is nothing you can do to make a difference? It’s not true! If we all make little adjustments to the way we lead our lives, we can have a massive combined effect.
Solar Panels & Battery Storage
For example, if you put solar panels on your roof, your neighbour will notice and start asking you questions: “How much did the installation cost? How much do you save each month? How much have you reduced your carbon footprint by?” In no time, various home owners in your street will take the plunge and solar panels will become the norm. Then they’ll start asking about battery storage like the Tesla Powerwall.
Electric Cars & Charging Points
Ditto if you park an electric car on your driveway and plug it into your recently installed charging point. Neighbours come over and ask: “Why did you get an electric car? How much do you save each month on fuel? How do you charge it? You mean they are zero emissions?” Soon more electric cars show up on various driveways. The word spreads.
After 20 years in the communication skills industry, my mid-life crisis was to question what I was doing and why. Was I really making a difference where it counts? “No” was the answer. So I retrained in Renewable Energy and have never looked back.
Steve Jobs
Boy do I recommend to anyone who isn’t fully motivated by how their professional life is going to stop, consider your options, and follow your inner passion. No-one explains this better than Steve Jobs. Your life will be transformed. You might need to take a course to learn new skills, but it’s never too late. I made the move in my early 40s. I could have gone out and bought a 1,000cc motorbike instead – thank goodness I chose renewables.
Electric Car Home
Why did I start Electric Car Home back in 2019? I couldn’t find any other website at that time which explained how home renewable energy technologies could work effectively with electric vehicles. There was lots of online content about the individual products, but nothing about how they all connected up, how they could combine to help you save money and protect the environment.
The birth of the Electric Car Home website then kick-started a new career journey for me and I know spend my time:
- Advising Renewable / CleanTech companies how to build and market product and service portfolios that will genuinely benefit consumers.
- Writing original content on solar panels, battery storage, electricity tariffs, heat pumps, electric vehicles, charging points, the environment, etc.
- Devising and delivering training programmes on home and workplace energy tech and electric vehicles.
- Giving talks, presentations and interviews about CleanTech, Renewable Energy, eMobility and Climate Change, and how everything connects up.
Fully Charged & Maddie Goes Electric
For example, check out this video interview I did with Maddie Moate and Fully Charged, part of their Maddie Goes Electric series:
The British Motor Show & Generate Media
And here’s me talking to the effervescent Ric Boullemier from Generate Media at the British Motor Show about electric cars and home charging:
One more thing…
I count myself very lucky to have found my true passion – even if it took me four decades – and I hope you find yours soon.
Go somewhere quiet, get out a blank piece of paper, and write down all the things that excite you. Make a short list, narrow it down gradually to just one area, and then plan how you can dedicate your life to it. It might involve some retraining, but you’ll enjoy that, too. If you move into renewable energy or electric vehicles, get in touch and we can compare notes.
Good luck!
David Lewis
Founder
Electric Car Home Ltd
Garswood
Warnford
Southampton
Hampshire
SO32 3LH
United Kingdom
Email david@electriccarhome.co.uk
Tel. 01962 393839
Company number 12046339
Taking part in the Big Climate Conversation
