Students come together to convert ICEs, build electric vehicles

Two recent news stories out of the University of Calgary and the University of Waterloo respectively have showcased student efforts to build electric vehicles. At the University of Calgary, a group of more than 40 students are working together to convert internal combustion engine vehicles into electric vehicles, starting with a 1966 Volvo station wagon. Team lead Ratik Kapoor explained that the group’s goal, as a university team, is to “open source the technology that allows people to convert cars” in order to kick-start a culture of converting vehicles by making the process economical and easy. The University of Waterloo also recently held its ninth annual Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge, where nine high schools sent teams to the university to design and build a battery powered car. “There’s definitely a direct connection with the transition we’re seeing in the automotive sector and the work that these high school students are doing,” said Ross McKenzie, managing director of the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research. “It’s the way of the future.” CTV News (UCalgary)| CTV News (Waterloo) Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.