High school to take part in electric vehicle challenge

By Rob Vogt
Willow Creek Composite High School is just one of three schools in Alberta selected to participate in a unique challenge.
Edison Motors, of Merritt, B.C, is putting on a competition for high schools that will have each school build an electric go-kart, and compete in a series of challenges.
Teacher Mark Oakes said the Edison High School EV Challenge will be an amazing opportunity to showcase the talents of the students in the trades programs here at the school.
High schools will be provided with key parts to the build: the electric motor, batteries, and controller.
Edison Motors staff will help high-school students with some design/engineering advice for their builds, but overall it is up to each school’s creativity and their talented students.
Teams will compete in a series of three challenges:
• Race – the fastest lap time wins on a set track.
• Tractor pull – whose vehicle can haul the most weight.
• Off-road obstacle course race – can your kart handle all types of terrain?
Bonus points will also be awarded for the coolest-looking kart.
The winning team of each event will receive a $500 scholarship, and the top overall team will receive a $1,500 scholarship.
The top overall team will also be offered a paid summer position at Edison Motors to improve their electric vehicle fabrication skills.
Oakes said Edison Motors builds hybrid logging trucks, and had been retrofitting them, when they decided to get into electric vehicles.
They also wanted to get high schools excited, so they created this challenge.
However, it was initially only for B.C. schools.
So, Oakes reached out to them, and the challenge has expanded to a total of 45 schools including schools from B.C., the Prairies, Ontario and even one school from the United States.
Once Wilow Creek Composite High School was part of the challenge, Oakes received an e-mail from Happiness by the Acre, a farm by Didsbury who offered to sponsor the Claresholm team.
Currently, Oakes is assembling the team, who will meet after school starting in January.
They will discuss the design, which will be crafted in CAD, or Computer Aided Design, which is a drafting program.
Oakes said they are also waiting for the parts to see how everything fits together.
The team welcomes any support from the community, especially in the form of materials and supplies, such as steel tubing for the chassis and suspension components.
Anyone interested in more information can contact Mark Oakes at Willow Creek Composite High School at 403-625-3387 or by e-mail at oakesm@lrsd.ab.ca.