Tiverton High School in Rhode Island has received a lot of attention recently by the press as a result of their class project: creating a fully functioning EV. The teacher of the engineering students, Edwin Fernandes, decided to take the theory he was teaching into practice by creating a project which took 600 hours to complete. The result is what they are calling Endurance: a solar powered EV that only cost $1000 to build.
The EV can also be plugged in but the combination of energy sources allows the Endurance to run for a long time. Their Endurance vehicle has been turning heads as it was driven in the local parade and taken for test drives by the press.
The Endurance EV has a solar panel array on the ceiling of the vehicle which passes through transformers that step up the power and make it usable by the motor. The brake system and wheels are created using re-purposed bike brakes that allow regenerative power. The frame of the EV is created using PVC piping and meant to hold an average sized high school kid.
Using 702 watt-hours, the Endurance traveled 24 miles. Hence, It costs about 7 cents (if you convert watt-hours into gas) to drive 24 miles using the Endurance – not bad for a class project.
The class plans to patent their design for their renewable energy vehicle. Hopefully, this could make future EVs more efficient and cost effective. It could also make an awesome and relatively cheap project. See more at RevengeOfTheElectricCar.com
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