Hooray – Sci-Friday is here – please enjoy this DIY Solarpunk: Build your own EV charging station. Why waste time buying a crummy indoor charger off of Amazon when you can *build* your own charging station for fun and profit! Pedro Neves walks us through the process step by step in this video. Take a look:
Quick and easy, no? There’s even a community of makers that run the ‘OpenEVSE’ project on Github. It’s also worth noting that there may be all kinds of legal, zoning, or insurance issues that haven’t been examined or addressed. Famously, disruptive tech ideas fizzle after a lawmaker hears about it and goes ‘well, it’s not illegal … but it’s going to be.’ Don’t believe me? Ask TikTok, or Uber.
Why is this solarpunk? Simple – solarpunk imagines a society where the climate crisis has been resolved or is being approached with camaraderie. What could be more ‘camaraderie’ than inventing your own community-based greentech vehicle charging stations?
Some people will tell you that this isn’t the best idea, but so what? the best is the enemy of the good. As Voltaire said, the best is the enemy of the good. I watch this video and my mind starts spinning about potential opportunities for small neighborhood EV charging stations. Cool ideas, but I’m chasing my dream of being an author. Maybe someone else will get to it.
I hope you enjoyed this DIY Solarpunk moment and that it made you ask your mom if you could build your own EV charging station. Please feel welcomed to dive down the rabbit hole of every other Sci-Friday I’ve published in the past couple years. Have a great weekend!
