We are proud to announce that Trust Horizon has generously provided our Engineering class with a $6k grant to go towards the building of Electric Go Karts. Each year our Level 2 programme sees students successfully design and build their own Go Kart, much to the delight of peers and teachers who see our students proudly drive them at the end of the year.
Students can choose to build either fossil fuel driven Go Karts or EV Go Karts. Historically, drive motors have ranged from 49 to 500cc petrol engines, and five Electric EV Go-Karts have been built over the last 5 years (4 x 800W DC & 1 x 800W AC). However, this year, 12 (or 75%) of the Level 2 Go Karts will be electric.
When students submitted their design proposals, Mr Dobbin was thrilled to see so many shifting away from fossil fuels and towards electric. Especially as the designs were proposed before the Trust Horizon funding was announced. With the Trust Horizon grant subsidising the cost of EV projects, even more students will be encouraged to choose the EV option.
The EV learning that students gain in Mr Dobbin's Engineering class aligns with Trust Horizon's community outcome of Energy Education & Engagement; facilitating new ideas, enabling new opportunities and understanding, and creating growth. Likewise, Trust Horizon’s outcomes align with Trident’s Energy Efficiency focus.
With Trust Horizon’s grant encouraging the selection of EV projects, more students will be given the opportunity to learn about electricity in a hands-on, tangible and fun way – including topics such as electrical drive system technology, relationships of volts vs speed (rpm) & current (amp) vs torque, physical electrical componentry, methods of connection & circuit protection, electrical safety, energy storage (batteries, types & volume (Ah)), distribution (circuits) & transfer of electrical power to mechanical motive power through the drive train.
Students will learn that EVs are a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuel driven machines. Not only are they clean, practically silent, and safer to replenish by simply plugging in – they are also significantly cheaper to run. The students’ EV learnings have the added benefit of influencing & educating whānau and the wider community. So they, too, can recognise the simplicity and benefits of electrical drive systems.
"Energy underpins almost everything we do, and having students able to learn hands-on how electric vehicles work and showcase how they will help us become more sustainable is very exciting,” says Trust Horizon trustee, Merrin Stables. “We hope to be able to lend our support across more of these exciting learning opportunities throughout the EBOP.”
Trident thanks Trust Horizon and Mr Dobbin for giving our students the opportunity to learn more about EV projects.
