Image Credit: Becky Mursell Photography from the She’s Electric Role Model Shoot.
Eilis Barrett became the face of the Electroheads YouTube Channel when it had less than 10,000 subscribers.
Five years on and it’s racked up more than 125,000.
Amongst many formats, Electroheads has a single goal: to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. To do this, mobility enthusiasts like Eilis guide viewers through the purchase process with buying guides, product reviews, vehicle tests, and more.
Zag Daily: How have you managed to make your content stand out?
Eilis: “I joined the company after working in documentaries, and I brought a journalistic side to the role. I didn’t just see it as trialling these cool electric vehicles, but I looked at them to see how the world is changing. How could these vehicles impact society? I do the reviews for e-bikes, e-scooters, e-trucks, buggies, quadricycles and even HGVs to educate potential buyers on making the right choice while also entertaining them. There are so many ‘electro curious’ people who want to know more, but it’s difficult for them to find the right product and test it which is why I put myself in their shoes. I also do vlogs where the viewer comes along with me for whatever I’m going to see, and then I cover the latest political updates too like the UK push for e-scooter legality. It’s the mix of formats that keeps this platform so interesting.”
Zag Daily: What do you think is the biggest barrier to micromobility uptake?
Eilis: “I think the issue we have is that the world of e-mobility is fairly new, and when something is new people can be fearful of change and don’t know much about it. Misinformation means there’s a lot of vilification in the press and anti-scooter and anti-bike reports. We’ve seen a rise in e-bike fires for example, but the sentiment has then been to get rid of e-bikes altogether because they’re ‘dangerous’. What’s a larger cause for concern is why the government isn’t stopping these bad quality products from entering the UK market which people are buying because they can’t afford the safer, better built vehicles. My job is to promote the right mobility products and to amplify that these aren’t dangerous but rather beneficial and enjoyable, and with the right regulations we can enjoy them even more.”
Zag Daily: Where did your passion for electric vehicles come from?
Eilis: “I essentially fell in love with e-mobility from the hands-on experience with Electroheads. Using a vehicle with instant torque is such a joyous experience and never gets old – even five years later I still revel in it. We have a slogan at Electroheads, ‘the joy of electric’, which really sums it up. Almost everyone becomes a convert when they try an electric vehicle for the first time because it unlocks this child-like feeling. It’s addictive and freeing and as an added bonus you realise it can save you lots of commuting costs in the long run.”
Zag Daily: Can you walk us through how you make your videos?
Eilis: “I do my research by reading publications like yours to get an idea of what’s going on in the industry, and I might stumble across a really cool product. I ask to get my hands on the product, or sometimes companies will pitch their product to us, and from the very beginning I focus on its most exciting and unique features. That’s crucial for capturing an audience on YouTube which requires a good thumbnail and title. I then develop my script and the points to cover – for review videos for example, the audience love to see me testing e-bikes on hills and conducting range tests. Range can be fluffed out by manufacturers and it happens in the car world too. I ask myself what the customer would want to know about the product and usually I get a couple of weeks to get a feel for it before making the video. Sometimes I only get a day with it, in which case the video will be of my first impressions, and I make this clear. It’s become a formulaic process, and I know what the audience wants to see.”
Zag Daily: How much is it about holding brands accountable?
Eilis: “The key thing is giving clear information. It’s about educating and cultivating an Electroheads audience because at the end of the day we want to get more people on board with electric vehicles. The information that I give to people must be the correct information because building trust takes so much time, but it only takes a split second to lose it. I care a lot about how the audience responds to our videos, and I’m grateful that all the comments are supportive. I think it’s down to the fact that I’ve been transparent and positive about this electric world and how it puts us in a good stead for the future.”
Zag Daily: Have you faced any struggles being a female face in an industry which can be seen as male-dominated?
Eilis: “No, I haven’t. Everyone has been so welcoming and excited to hear what I have to say. Sure, you get a few misogynistic comments from people who can’t quite handle a woman telling them something, but generally the reception has been positive. Not only do I have a great team supporting me, but I also think that everybody works together with open arms in this space because we all need each other. I need to review these products to keep people informed, and the brand needs me to communicate why this is a good enough product for an extensive audience. There’s a beneficial trade-off for everybody, and I haven’t felt as though my gender has hindered my work.”
Zag Daily: How about the other way round – do you keep your female audience in mind when you create content?
Eilis: “Yes, it’s always in the back of my mind but it also comes naturally. I love to know other women are watching and reacting to my videos because we all have different experiences. For example, I’ve had varied comments on saddles between men and women because we’re physiologically different. One saddle might work for someone but not for someone else, and it’s important to address these points to guide the viewer.
“I’ve also noticed when I’m out cycling that there are generally speaking more men than women certainly here in London and I think part of that is feeling safe as the roads can be a dangerous place. This is where e-bikes have really made me feel more confident with the added electric assist. I can be confident standing at the traffic lights and get into a safe position as soon as possible. There’s definitely an imbalance and we need to see more diversity in the cycling world. I love being at the forefront of that with electric vehicles which open doors to people with physical impairments, disabilities, or older riders who never thought they could ride a bike again. It’s invigorating to show people that this is something anybody can do and encourage people to get back on a bike and feel the power through the pedals.
“I got hit by a bus from behind when I was riding a pedal bike because I wasn’t going as fast as the impatient bus driver behind me would have liked. But electric bikes can give people the safety net of acceleration and speed, particularly from a standing start that pedal bikes don’t offer. Riding electric has given me the tools to feel like I can respond to danger, move quickly when I need to and feel like I can keep up with the flow of traffic. It’s given me so much independence.”
Zag Daily: What’s been the best vehicle you’ve reviewed?
Eilis: “I absolutely adore the Citroen Ami. It is designed to be a more affordable two-seater which is great for the city. I’ve loved this little electric quadricycle to death from the moment I got in it.
“I’m also really impressed with Cowboy’s e-bikes. It’s not only about the bike itself, which is designed beautifully, but also their slick in-app integration which pays attention to the little details. I’m a Strava nerd and I love how Cowboy’s app gives stats on how long you’ve been active for, the calories you’ve burned, and the pop-up rewards it gives you like you’ve burned enough for a burrito. This detail turns a commute into a fun stream of live information on fitness stats.For me, I’m just trying to move around and commute in fresh air rather than being stuck on a tube. It’s not about going out to get exercise, so to be told what I’ve achieved is rewarding and engaging. It gamifies the commute, hits that serotonin spot and makes me want to get on my bike even more.”
Zag Daily: Who is one woman in the new mobility industry you’d like to spotlight?
Eilis: “Anne Hidalgo has been so inspirational to me as a woman who has climbed the ladder and introduced such forward ways of thinking to change a city. I know she’s gotten a lot of stick for it, but she’s shown how to implement new policies and open up a city that’s historically been car focused to clean up the air and use micromobility. Clean air is my number one cause for concern. People in cities are dying because of pollutive air because others believe the easiest way to get around is to jump in a car, which is frightening and sad. Anne has created a cleaner city that makes people happier to move around actively, and I hope that we can see more of this in UK cities.”
