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Career profile
Meet Theo, an electrical design engineer.
Theo design electrical components to fit in old cars and turn them into electric vehicles.
Find out about Theo's career and how he considers the environment in what he does.
Theo: Hi, I'm Theo and I'm an electrical design engineer.
My role in the company is to design components that we use to convert cars to electric. When designing components for the conversions, we take lots of measurements of the original car to make sure that the new components can fit.
This means that rather than scrapping millions of cars, we can put them back on the road with a more green power train. And it also allows classic cars that no longer drive to be able to be used in their former glory.
We use lots of second hand components as we think it's a more eco-friendly way to convert cars. So using second hand batteries or second life motors, keeping materials in use for as long as possible is great for the circular economy.
I was really interested in working for an electrical car company, and I saw this company in London converting cars to electric. And I just had to email the owner to ask if I could come and work or trial or just come and see what he was doing.
I was really lucky after my internship, I was given a job and here I am today. Studying electronics in school was a great foot up for me to learn about electronics and cars and how the electronics in cars worked.
I personally didn't feel like I needed to go to university as I learned lots of my skills on the job. One of the nice things about the job is once you've designed something on the computer, you send it off to be fabricated and then you receive it in the post a couple of weeks later.
After a couple of months of working hard on the car it's great to see the car move under its own electric power, and it's really rewarding.
The different roles in the company include design engineer. You have a mechanical engineer. You have an electrical engineer. We have welders and we have project managers who help keep everything on track. And we all work together to make sure that everything we do is as sustainable as possible.
If you're interested in working on electric cars, keeping up to date and learning about them on the Internet, it's really important. If there's a job or a company that you really want to work for, it's always a great idea to write a personal email, to let them know that you're really interested in the job.
That's what I did. And luckily it worked out for me.
After a couple of months of working hard on the car it's great to see the car move under its own electric power, and it's really rewarding.
Theo, engineer
- Theo studied physics, maths and product design at A-level and chose not to go to university.
- Theo had always been interested in electronics and cars, so he wrote an email to the owner of an electric car converting company and asked if he could come in to find out more. After the visit, he was taken on as an intern and was later offered a job.
Green transport
Sustainable transport is an essential need, for daily commuting, holidays and transport of goods. 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions comes from petrol and diesel vehicles, which also produce air pollution.
Electric vehicles (EVs) reduce particulate matter and greenhouse gases from fuel use, improving air quality. However, EVs only prevent climate change if the electricity is sourced from renewables.
Some major cities including London, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham have introduced Ultra Low Emission Zones, which means paying to drive combustion engine vehicles.
The government has banned sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, so there are likely to be more jobs like Theo’s.
Salary and hours
Theo is an electrical design engineer, a role which involves designing the components and using industry tools to replace the car parts.
The information below relates to an electrical engineer, a role that shares some similar responsibilities. Electrical engineers are integral to building, transportation, energy and other designs.
- Electrical engineer salary: From £20,000 to £60,000 per year
- Electrical engineer working hours: 35 to 40 hours per week
Entry requirements
You can get into this job through a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship, working towards this role, or applying directly.
University: You can do a degree in electrical or electronic engineering. You may also be able to get into this career with a degree in Electromechanical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, Applied Physics, Aeronautical Engineering, or Mechatronics. You'll usually need two to three A-levels for a degree.
College: You could do a Level 4 and 5 Higher National Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at college before looking for work. You'll usually need one or two A-levels, a Level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a Level 4 or Level 5 course.
Apprenticeship: You could do an Electrical and Electronic Technical Support Engineer higher apprenticeship. You'll usually need four or five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and college qualifications like A-levels for a higher or a degree apprenticeship.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service.
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
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