Meet the Maker: Peter Seboyeng

Thursday, 26 August 2010

Meet the Maker is a series of profiles on the good people at Optimal Energy who are hard at work producing Joule, South Africa’s first electric car. We caught up with Peter Seboyeng, an industrial designer who is involved in developing the interior of the vehicle.

1. What made you want to pursue this career, and how did you get to where you are today?

From a young age I always loved drawing. Playing car toys brought me close to the automotive world and I was always fascinated about how things are made. I used to make different wired cars and battery controlled cars out of perfume tins. However, sketching was always my passion and daily meal. I think I had an intuitive feeling that what I was doing was going to pay back eventually.

When I was in about grade 9 in high school, I was dedicated in to drawing cars and products. One day each of us in the class was asked what we wanted to be after school.

“I want to design cars,” I said. My teacher and classmates were puzzled because they had assumed I wanted to be an artist. They also realised that they didn’t know of any car designers and hadn’t even heard of the profession.

I didn’t know what field of study would lead me in the right direction, until I came across a book called My Career. I was excited to discover an Industrial Design course at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the University of Johannesburg. And that’s how it all started.

2. What does your job as an Industrial Designer for Joule entail?

My job involves conceptualising the best possible design solutions for the product. Detail design is very important in enhancing the overall design of Joule. What I love about design is that one can create emotions; it’s a human contribution towards our culture, and also a very strong marketing weapon.

3. Can you give us an idea of what the finished design will be like?

The design of the car looks sexy, with swoopy lines and flowing surfaces, very much a resolution of the current prototype. It is the technology that intrigues me – Joule doesn’t have the complexity of the hybrid car because it is purely electric. It’s quiet, and that to me speaks of efficiency and comfort. The materials used were chosen with lower carbon emissions very much in mind.

4. How is designing the interior of an electric vehicle different to of a normal car or other electric vehicles?

I believe the interior of an electric car needs to shout efficiency – the dials and lack of a gear lever simply create the feeling of clean energy. We wanted to make Joule a serious car. Many other electric vehicle manufacturers believe that the look and feel of their product needs to be very different from that of conventional cars. The result is that the design becomes incredibly cold and the cars tend to look like toys or kitchen appliances. We tried to avoid this with Joule.

5. Can you tell us about your career plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

I want to go where no other designer has gone, to capture the future and put it on wheels.

6. What do you love about our country and what makes you proud to be South African?

South Africa is a beautiful country. There are many opportunities, compared to other European countries. We have a lot to do in order to compete with other third world countries, and that to me is an opportunity.

7. Are you environmentally conscious in your own lifestyle? If so could you share a green living tip?

Not down to the last detail, but I try hard to live up to green values. Even things like simple responsible shopping are the beginning of green living! I look for environmentally friendly items on the shelves because that’s where it starts – small changes can lead to big significant changes.

Previous Meet the Maker profiles:

Annie Bekker

Wim Fuls

Hugo de Kock