Beyond the JOULE: What Building an Electric Car Taught Us About Systems Engineering
Many engineers dream of developing a product that changes the world, yet few have the opportunity to take an idea from a blank sheet of paper to a working vehicle. The JOULE electric car was South Africa’s bold attempt to do exactly that.
In this talk, Gerhard Swart, co-founder and CTO of Optimal Energy, reflects on the rise and fall of the JOULE and the lessons it offers Systems Engineers today. From a handful of engineers with a vision, to a team of more than one hundred people developing a world-class electric vehicle, the project became an extraordinary exercise in innovation, leadership, complexity management, and perseverance.
Beyond the technical challenges, the journey revealed the importance of vision, passion, stakeholder management, funding, product strategy, and the ability to navigate uncertainty. It also demonstrated a truth often overlooked in engineering: products do not change the world—people do. Great projects are built by individuals who believe in something larger than themselves and who are willing to invest their creativity, commitment, and courage to make it happen.
Drawing on successes, mistakes, and hard-earned experience, Gerhard explores how Systems Engineering can move beyond process and documentation to become a powerful enabler of innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrial development. Whether you are an experienced practitioner, a young engineer finding your way, or someone hoping to turn an idea into a successful product, the lessons of the JOULE remain as relevant today as ever.
About the Book: HOPE ARISING #
HOPE ARISING: The story of South Africa’s JOULE Electric Vehicle and why it still matters
This is more than the story of a car – it’s a story of belief in a better future, of the engineers and entrepreneurs who dared to build it, and of the powerful lessons left in its wake. For those who were part of the joule’s journey, this book offers a candid look at the triumphs, heartaches, and innovations behind South Africa’s first home-grown electric vehicle.
Told through the eyes of a co-founder and lead engineer, it reveals the political tides, business pressures, and personal sacrifices that shaped – and ultimately halted – the project in 2012. Yet beyond the technical blueprints and strategic decisions lies something more: a quiet reflection on perseverance, failure, and the faith that carried the author through it all.
For every engineer, entrepreneur, or dreamer who once believed in the joule – and for those who still believe in South African innovation – this book stands as a testament. The wheels may have stopped turning, but the road to the future remains wide open.
About Gerhard Swart #
Gerhard Swart is a systems engineer and entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience leading complex engineering projects. He contributed to the Rooivalk attack helicopter, led integration for parts of the Hong Kong International Airport, and was the systems engineer behind the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Optimal Energy, he helped pioneer the JOULE electric vehicle project. Passionate about innovation, engineering education and local industrial development, Swart brings a rare blend of technical insight, strategic thinking and heartfelt reflection to this important story.