The Methacton Electric Car Club has been in existence since 2001. We are an extracurricular, high school club with 15 active members, based at Methacton High School, in Norristown, PA. We maintain, as well as continually develop a battery electric vehicle known as, The Lorax. The club works with faculty sponsors, members of the community and local and national sponsors, to continually develop the car's technology and energy efficiency. Our overall, unified goal is to educate the public, one car at a time, about sustainable energy.
The car itself has a fiberglass frame, three wheels and runs on 17, 12-volt lead, acid-gel batteries. The car, with the batteries, weighs 2150 pounds. The three wheels make it lighter, producing less friction, which demands less energy. The Lorax has a three phase AC induction motor. The Solectria controller takes the 204 volts from the batteries and converts them to a three phase AC pulse to make the motor run. It has 700Mbs. of torque at the drive wheel. The car has been driven at speeds of up to 80 mph. The batteries that the car runs on were donated by Horizon Batteries. Horizon is one of our corporate sponsors; we have built a great working relationship with them. We have had the same battery pack for the past three years. This year, we are returning this pack for a new set. Horizon wants to test the pack to learn how they have responded to the car's demands. In exchange, they are donating 17 new batteries to our club, a value of over $10,000. Working together in this manner has helped both parties. Horizon gets valuable research information while providing an educational tool for our students and the future of this technology. Over the past four years, the students have redesigned the car for greater efficiency. In the past we have driven 94 miles on one charge. This year we have added a 17th battery and hope to break 100 miles per charge. We have redistributed the weight of the batteries, as well as rewired them with more disconnects, this enables us to isolate specific areas, so that we can work on separate parts of the car with minimal voltage for better safety. The club built a roll bar (with the help of the students at the local Vo-Tech School) and built a roof with a solar cell incorporated into it to help recharge the batteries. This year, we are adding a trunk to hold supplies and have developed a website (go to www.methacton.org, click on high school under select a school, and then click on electric car club under activities). One of the clubs activities has also been to create a brochure and cd. We distributed the packet to local businesses to raise awareness of our program as well as fundraise and find new sponsors. The Lorax has been featured on local news stations, The History Channel, and "Cool Fuel", a series which aired on Channel 57. This year we will be competing in the 21st Century Automotive Challenge in June in New Jersey and will be a part of the Renewable Energy Display at the Lancaster Renaissance Fair in July.
Each year, as we have worked to improve the energy efficiency and safety of The Lorax, we have participated in the "Tour de Sol", an annual event that brings together alternative vehicle programs from around the world, high school and college level, to compete as well as educate. It is in this venue that our impact is most powerful. We are able to demonstrate, as a collective group, the various types of alternative energy that are being developed and put to use. Our vehicle, along with many others, is displayed to the public, en route through different states. This enables us to reach many school children, giving them the opportunity to see, touch, and sit in the cars. They are given the opportunity to ask questions and learn hands on, about renewable energy. The members of our club go from students to teachers, when educating the public. The club also makes field trips to local schools and fairs to educate the community. Our goal this year is to visit all of the schools within our district and neighboring districts to display the car and discuss alternative energy technology.
Sustainability Narrative
The Methacton High School Electric Car Club is a great example of how communities can work together to make sustainable energy a viable alternative. The club itself was founded when, John Murphy, a local businessman who had built the car, donated it to Methacton High School. Mr. Murphy's intent was to utilize the car as a hands-on tool for the students to learn from as well use to educate the public. The club, under the mentorship of John Murphy, has made the car more energy efficient through the utilization of multiple technologies available for alternative energy. Our latest project, to be completed in March of this year, is to install a 1000 watt solar photovoltaic array on the roof of the garage where the electric car is stored. The goal is be to make The Lorax totally renewable by collecting more energy from the sun than the energy needed to charge the car. Any additional energy collected from the solar photovoltaic cells will be used for the electrical needs of the garage with the surplus then being fed back to the school. This project's cost is close to $12,000, which has been paid for through donations from local businesses, grants and student fundraising, which ranges from car washes to soliciting donations. Our next project is to raise enough funds to purchase a trailer for The Lorax. In the past, we have rented trailers to get to the events we have participated in. Purchasing our own trailer will increase our ability to participate in educational programs, as well as give us another vehicle to promote Sustainability. We are going to install solar cells on the trailer, which will allow the car to continually recharge while being transported to various locations.
Results
The Lorax has achieved success in competition, by achieving first and second place wins at the "Tour de Sol", in the battery electric division. Our success in this event has provided a forum for our car to help get the message across to various locations and schools about the uses of electrical energy. The positive backing from the local businesses has continued over the past five years because of the positive publicity and success we have achieved. In addition, the success has helped to motivate our students to seek sustainable energy solutions for the future. The Methacton Electric Car Club has been able to connect the students with the community to achieve a common goal. Our efforts to educate both the students and the public on the necessity and practicality of renewable energy will of benefit to generations in the future and our environment.
For more information, please visit www.methactonecc.org
