Staff and pupils from nine schools and colleges in West Wales have signed up for a competition to design, build and race electric-powered go-karts, organised by the West Wales TEC and the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) with support from Hawker Energy who are supplying the batteries, as they do for Bluebird Electric.
And today they got their first chance to learn about the challenges they face, and to get an insight into the past, present and future of electric cars.
Other entries will now be welcomed from pupils aged between 12 and 17 years in two categories. Entries close on March 31st. and the twenty best teams will compete against each other at Pembrey during this year's British Kart Grand Prix in August.
The winning team in each category will be the one whose kart covers the longest distance after one hour's competition. Prizes will also be awarded two runners-up, as well as to the best-prepared kart, the most innovative design and the best overall portfolio.
The Bluebird Electric team has taken a day off from its rigorous testing schedule at Pendine to be guest of honour at the event.
The sleek new Bluebird car is to form the centrepiece of a new EV roadshow featuring a century of EV development, which has also been mounted with Hawker's help and which made its first appearance at today's launch.
"It's early days yet for this very exciting development," according to Bluebird Project Director Martin Rees. "But the educational potential of the roadshow is enormous," he said.
The vehicles on show today included a 1904 Krieger brougham, veteran of the London-Brighton vintage car rally and one of the earliest electric vehicles still in existence (electric powered cars were the first to set and break the world landspeed record a century ago).
Also on show were a range of more modern applications, including a city car, a go-kart and electrically powered two-wheelers.
Now it's up to the youngsters to emulate what has been achieved to date. Everyone at Bluebird Electric wishes them well.
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