Switching Gears with Rich Bertie
This week we catch up with Richard Bertie, our Electrical Distribution System Design Engineer. Over a cup of coffee, Rich tells us about his rigorous splits routine and how to avoid unnecessary risks at work.
Describe your day as a EV EVDS DE at Charge Cars?
My day starts with a rigorous splits training regime, before going for a quick run. Once I’m in the office, I make myself a cup of coffee, and a bowl of porridge with strawberries before heading to my desk. I’m responsible for leading daily electrical CAD meetings, so every morning I run through what my team is working on, and set targets and tasks. I try to focus everyone into achieving specific milestones, this helps our overall progress. I delegate the tasks people are working on as well as helping them access the information, outlining requirements for their CAD as well as providing any standards they have to adhere to.
Top tip for someone entering your field of work.
One thing you definitely have to be passionate about is your work, because if you’re going to be working on electrical systems everyday, this has to be something you’re interested in. Attention to detail is essential, the smallest mistake can cause the whole system to fail. The perfect example is our cabin harness, which is almost a kilometer long; if we were to put a connector in the wrong place we won’t be able to wire up the vehicle. Being thorough and patient also plays a big role in our work, it takes time to assemble components and make your way around the whole vehicle. I think communication is crucial as well, especially cross-department wise.
What trend, if any, is shaping your area of work right now?
Technology, 100%. Every component governs how you design something. For example, you have a powertrain and if changes arise, it impacts other parts of the vehicle such as the chassis. This means that all the electrical routings would have to be updated, as well as inverters and connectors.
Additionally COVID-19 has caused a shortage in components worldwide which means we have to be adaptable to the environment we are in at the moment.
Electric cars are still an area of the automotive industry that’s new for everyone. A couple years ago there were only a handful of companies developing electric vehicles. Everything we do is new as we are analysing requirements which have never been set before. This impacts every stage of the build as well as every person in the team.
Working here, what are you most looking forward to?
Definitely seeing the end product! That is the most exciting part. If I won the lottery and could choose a car, I would choose the Electric Mustang by Charge Cars. There is literally no other car like it on the road.
What book would you recommend?
At the moment I am reading “50th Law” by Curtis Jackson and Robert Greene. It’s a book about strategy, working smarter, fearlessness and business. I’ve only just started but I am enjoying it.
