January 24, 2012

Dudley High students build and test an electric tricycle made with $150 budget.

With more electric vehicles hitting the road every year, the electric vehicle industry is having a difficult time finding qualified technicians to repair and maintain their products. But with the assistance of the local Electric Auto Association, Dudley High students will be the first in the nation to take part in the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) level 1 technician course.

This course will teach students the necessary skills needed to obtain an auto industry recognized certification in the maintenance and repair of batteries and light electric vehicles.

In addition to the LEVA course, students are continuing to work on their electric tricycles for the Shell Eco-Marathon   this spring in Houston. At last year's event, with only a budget of $150 and an electric tricycle made entirely from scrap materials and donations, Dudley High students were able to successfully compete against other highly funded schools and universities.

The Shell Eco-Marathon challenges high school and college student teams from around the work to design build and test energy efficient vehicles. The competition is decided by which team goes the farthest distance while using the least amount of energy.