A school in Oakham are competing at the Greenpower International Finals
The competition that challenges young people to design, build and race an electric car
Harington school in Oakham are hoping for a podium position at the Greenpower International Finals this weekend.
The competition challenges young people to design, build and race an electric car. It aims to get them enthusiastic about science and engineering.
It's just great to see what the students have achieved
For the third year running, their student-built electric vehicles have qualified for the finals.
This year’s event will be held at the Goodwood Motor Circuit on Sunday, 13th October 2024.
The team aims to surpass their impressive 7th place finish from 2022, setting their sights even higher for this year’s competition.
Tom Foxall, a physics teacher at the school said:
"It's just great to see what the students have achieved. They start at Harington having just done their GCSEs. They come quite nervous and haven't got many skills. How they develop in the year and what they do following this project is absolutely brilliant."
It has to be something you're committed to
Students will be competing with two cars: Vector, a "kit car" which has been refined over " which has been refined over the past three years, and Scalar, a brand-new “scratch car” designed and built entirely from scratch.
This marks a significant milestone for the school, as it's the first time the team has designed a car independently.
Tom Atkinson, a student and the head engineer on the project said:
"It has to be something you're committed to; if you're not, then it's going to be difficult to achieve that goal of taking it where it wants to be."
"I've definitely had to put in that effort to make such a car and I think it's paid off quite well."
Both Scalar and Vector were built in compliance with Formula 24+ regulations, with rigorous safety checks conducted before each session to ensure the security of the drivers.
I'm incredibly proud of my team
The team’s success this season was highlighted by their victory at Blyton Park Circuit in July, where driver Will led the Vector to a dominant win, finishing three laps ahead of their closest competitor.
Felix Rawlings, the team principle, said:
"I'm incredibly proud of my team. It's been a brilliant thing to see. I'm proud of our driver Will, who has put in some beautiful performances in challenging conditions."
"It's been a brilliant thing to see develop across the season."
"I've developed finance skills working with our school's finance department, managing our funds. I've also been managing logistics, taking the team from here to the competitions. Also, I've gained soft skills like public speaking."
This triumph secured the team's automatic qualification for the international finals.
The teams driver Will, said:
'We arrived with rain making the track conditions tricky, but once we got going, it was an enjoyable drive.'
'Crossing the finish line victorious was a great moment for the team and a testament to all the hard work we’ve put in this season.'