“This car is very light,” the video says, “but you will feel very right.”
That’s one of the slogans attached to the latest success story at the West Philadelphia High School Automotive Academy.
The Academy’s West Philly EVX team this week won the Pete Conrad Scholars in Clean Energy award for their latest super fuel-efficient vehicle – the EVLC (Electric Very Light Car). The award includes a $5,000 cash prize that will help the team finish the car prototype by the end of the year and get it ready for commercial development. The team submitted a technical report, business plan and graphical representation as part of the competition.
The team members include Leon Johnson, Stefon Gonzalez, Shamere Palmer, Brandon Ford and Kaya Presley. Their coach is Paul Holt.
Their car combines performance and range, two important characteristics if it is to be commercially viable. The team reports that ZipCar and Philly Car Share are already interested in the idea.
This is the latest in a string of awards for the program, which has been recognized everywhere from the White House to Time Magazine.
Check out the video the team submitted as part of their project:
May 6th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Go West Philly EVX! Just goes to show with the right kind of support Philadelphia’s public school students can do ANYTHING! If we could stop worrying about standardized test scores and concentrate on meaningful project-based learning, I would bet that those test scores would rise on their own.
The interest from Philly Car Share and ZipCar is fantastic as it will help you come to scale in terms of price. Any idea what one will cost? (Clearly, I want one!)
Thanks West Philly EVX for showing what Philadelphia students can do!
May 6th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
My I please see the hands of those who believe West Philadelphia high school students designed and built this car? Now, may I see the hands of those who believe the teachers did the building while the students helped.
There is a big difference between the two, especially when the students are caught in the middle. Look, I just want the public hyperbole to cease.
No student designed, engineered, and constructed this car, and that is alright. Building such a machine is a huge intellectual undertaking.
Face facts, West Philly High standardized test scores confirm it is an impossible task for these student to be responsible for the brain work behind this marvelous auto. I wouldn’t be surprised if building this car wasn’t beyond the ability of some of the auto teachers. If fact, you’d need to be an engineer to be the master builder here.
May 7th, 2011 at 11:56 am
Exactly what we need in West Philly is negative people, who are apparently self-proclaimed teachers working with our children….The test scores of an entire school do not necessarily the intellectual ability of these 5 students. I can guarantee my children will be outliers in the PSSA testing when compared to other children in their public school. Let’s not generalize and say we can’t, when we should be teaching children, motivating children and parents, and reinforcing positive outcomes.