The Challenge of Changing Minds
For a solution to be widely adopted, it must benefit both individuals and communities. While factual correctness is essential for community acceptance, the real hurdle is appealing to individuals on an emotional level. Desire is an emotional, not purely rational, phenomenon. Let me explain:
People resist change for many reasons. Here are some of the more relevant ones I experienced in the energy transition or electrification of mobility:
- Poor communication: Especially when it comes with prohibitions and is delivered by "do-gooders."
- Fear of the unknown
- Loss aversion or comfort with the status quo
To some degree also the lack of awareness or understanding. To overcome this, we first need the attention which comes back to the first point (poor communication).
Why Did Tesla and Apple Set the Benchmark?
It's similar to politics: beyond facts, we must understand what moves individuals emotionally.
Telling someone that an electric car is locally emission-free may be informative but not exciting. Mentioning a processor's 16 billion transistors might impress tech enthusiasts but doesn't create widespread appeal.
Have you ever felt the thrill of starting a roaring V12 engine? Or experienced the instant acceleration of a Tesla Roadster on a late summer night? Noticed how people use their MacBooks and iPhones in fancy coffee shops, enjoying seamless design and functionality? Or picturing themselves taking even better selfies thanks to a camera button they perceive innovative? It's not just about technology; it's about creating memories, lasting impressions, identity, belonging, and more.
Research shows that most of our decisions are made intuitively rather than through conscious reasoning. To inspire change, we need to connect with people on an emotional level. Successful products tap into this by connecting on an emotional level.
Driving Change through Desirable Solutions
I'm not a fan of policies that rely on prohibitions based on ideology or centralized approaches that ignore human emotion. Such "green/progressive" methods often slow down positive change for individuals and communities. Instead, embracing economic competition and innovation leads to efficiency and improves our lives.
- Tesla did not invent the electric car - they blended mission, design, usability, and technology to create electric cars people desire.
- Apple did not invent the smartphone - they blended mission, design, usability, and technology to produce smartphones that became "essential" parts of our lives.
These approaches help us accelerate the energy transition by developing solutions that prioritize the human factor while they just "happen" to be part of the solution. While electric Restomods have yet to capture the essence of human emotion, I believe this philosophy is key to the energy transition.
Bringing Excitement and Aesthetics to Clean Tech & Renewable Energy
From Sunrays to Electricity: Dual land use photovoltaics solutions like Solar Ports make renewable energy visually appealing and practical.
From Power to Energy: Integrated charging solutions, bi-directional charging and battery storage help overcoming the weak spots of solar energy.
From Battery to Drive: Desirable electric cars lay the foundation of a wide adoption of electric mobility.
By connecting clean technology with emotion, we can make sustainable solutions appealing and accelerate their adoption. It's about creating sustainable solutions that people don't just need but genuinely want.
