In 2015 Amadeus Öster converted a Volvo 945 into an electric A tractor (a car that does not require a standard driving licence). There was great media interest in the young innovator from Gnosjö. He was the first to do it in Sweden. “I’m still very interested in electronics,” he says today. For the future, he’s planning yet another home-made electric vehicle.
After about 10,000 kilometres, Amadeus from Gnosjö sold the electric A tractor that he had built all by himself. He was just 16 then, and the buyer was a younger teenage boy from Skåne.
Major interest in his innovation
The media interest in Sweden’s first electric A tractor was naturally huge. Amadeus received a lot of praise for his innovation. That was almost five years ago. He now works as an electrician in Värnamo. In an interview with Brave New Business, he tells us what’s happened since then and why he’s once again planning to convert a Volvo into a fully functional electric car.
How did people around you react to your innovative project?
“Many of my friends have always been with me throughout the journey. They’ve been with me and seen how the process has progressed step by step. So I think that many of my closest friends thought it was really cool that I did it. But there were a lot of adults in particular who thought it was great.”
Was there anything that surprised you?
“I thought it was very funny because the adults asked a lot of questions which I was able to answer. That was really fun.”
A lot of media reported on your project. Did you also hear a lot from people who wanted to build something similar?
“Yes, there were some private individuals who contacted me who had ideas and questions, but I’ve not heard about anyone else who’s built a car like this. A school in Mariestad also got in touch. They wanted to build a similar EPA tractor as a school project but I don’t know how that went for them. They wanted some information and help.”
By the way, why did you sell the car in the very same year?
“It was my masterpiece, you could say, but at the same time I felt I had to move on. The time spent with an A tractor is only a short period in your life. I felt that I had to let it go and buy a proper car instead.”
Do you know what happened to the car itself after you sold it?
“A guy from Skåne bought it. He was a couple of years younger than me at the time, but I don’t know what happened to the car after that. I imagine that he had just started to drive an A tractor.”
What are you up to these days?
“I graduated from the electrical and energy programme, specialising in machines and automation at secondary school in 2018. At the moment I’m working for Ds Smith Packaging Sweden AB in Värnamo. There I’m part of the maintenance staff that consists of both mechanics and electricians. We take care of the machines and repair them.”
It sounds like you’re still working with your interest in electronics.
“Yes, absolutely. I’ve always been interested in electrical things. There are some quite advanced things in this industry. I work with a great deal of equipment and control systems and everything to do with electricity. It can be quite challenging at times, trying to resolve faults. You can get quite crazy sometimes but I think it’s fun and a learning experience.”
Was it advantageous for you when you were looking for a job that you had built the electric A tractor?
“Yes, I think so because I wrote about it in my CV when I applied for this position. They thought it was really cool. But that was probably more to do with the work itself. I had worked a lot with my hands and made my own stuff to get the electric car to work. That’s the biggest advantage I have in my job from that project.”
What are the greatest lessons you have learned thanks to your project?
“I’ve learned a lot from this kind of manual work. By making my own things, designing my own things and coming up with solutions. I’ve definitely acquired a lot of experience through this project.”
Are you working on any new electric car projects at the moment?
“I have a dream to rebuild an older Volvo. I’ve started warming to this luxurious model 960. I’m thinking of converting one to electric. That would be really cool! At the moment I’m saving money to buy a house with my partner, so that’s the priority. But in the future I could envisage a home-made electric car again. I’m still really interested in electronics in my spare time. I find it relaxing and fun.”