The Joule: How South Africa Almost Beat Tesla (and why it failed)
Wed Jan 21 2026
Before the Tesla Model S redefined the industry, a team in Cape Town had already built the future. So why have you never heard of the Joule?
While Silicon Valley was in its infancy, South African engineers were solving the EV puzzle: 6-seat capacity, 180-mile range, and a modular interior designed for global export. In this episode of The Disrupted Factory, I sit down with Gerhard Swart, former CTO of Optimal Energy, to discuss the high-stakes engineering behind the Joule and the heartbreaking 9.2-billion-rand industrialization "chasm" that swallowed the project whole.
We go from the glitz of the Geneva Motor Show — where the Joule stood toe-to-toe with Lamborghinis — to the grim reality of being ordered to destroy the tooling when the government pulled the plug. But this isn't just a story of what was lost.
We dive into Gerhard’s current work on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)—the most ambitious radio telescope project in human history. Whether you are an EV enthusiast, a space nerd, or a systems engineer, this is a masterclass in why some of the world’s greatest innovations never make it to the driveway.
Keen to get your hands on Gerhard's book - Hope Arising - click here: Official Site: https://joulebook.co.za/ Exclusive Books: https://tinyurl.com/ExclusiveBooksJoule Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/5dhtfmra
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch all our episodes, plus bonus weekly video content Connect with our host, Yanesh Naidoo, on LinkedIn Become a Facebook fan of the podcast Find us on TikTok Follow us on Instagram Learn more about Jendamark
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Before the Tesla Model S redefined the industry, a team in Cape Town had already built the future. So why have you never heard of the Joule? While Silicon Valley was in its infancy, South African engineers were solving the EV puzzle: 6-seat capacity, 180-mile range, and a modular interior designed for global export. In this episode of The Disrupted Factory, I sit down with Gerhard Swart, former CTO of Optimal Energy, to discuss the high-stakes engineering behind the Joule and the heartbreaking 9.2-billion-rand industrialization "chasm" that swallowed the project whole. We go from the glitz of the Geneva Motor Show — where the Joule stood toe-to-toe with Lamborghinis — to the grim reality of being ordered to destroy the tooling when the government pulled the plug. But this isn't just a story of what was lost. We dive into Gerhard’s current work on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)—the most ambitious radio telescope project in human history. Whether you are an EV enthusiast, a space nerd, or a systems engineer, this is a masterclass in why some of the world’s greatest innovations never make it to the driveway. Keen to get your hands on Gerhard's book - Hope Arising - click here: Official Site: https://joulebook.co.za/ Exclusive Books: https://tinyurl.com/ExclusiveBooksJoule Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/5dhtfmra Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch all our episodes, plus bonus weekly video content Connect with our host, Yanesh Naidoo, on LinkedIn Become a Facebook fan of the podcast Find us on TikTok Follow us on Instagram Learn more about Jendamark