Yesterday, Unifor Local 88 and CAMI, warmly welcomed CASS (College Avenue Secondary School) students participating in a High School EV Challenge. Participating in the visit was, Drake Vleuten, Tyler Dodd, Hannah Lawrence, Ashton Beatty, Seth Brandow, Simon Lukings, and Nathan Mol their teacher.
Unifor Local 88 was first contacted a few months back asking for assistance in helping to fund the on-going build of an EV go-cart. We were pleased to participate with a $1000 donation through our Local Union’s Social Justice fund with CAMI also making the same donation. Unifor Local 88 is proud to represent the members at the first commercial EV manufacturing plant in Canada and see this exposure as a great opportunity for the Union and the products we build.
The visit offered an exclusive opportunity to view the intricacies and examine the Ultium battery pack propelling its energy, and gain insights into the construction of a Rechargeable Energy Storage System (RESS). Through this immersive experience, students were empowered to approach the challenge with heightened awareness and a deeper understanding garnered from firsthand exposure to our BAP site.
Three (3) events make up the EV challenge:
- A race to determine the fastest lap time on a set track.
- A tractor pull to test which vehicle can haul the most weight.
- An obstacle course race to determine the fastest time on a winding, soft terrain course.
At the heart of this challenge lies the design and engineering of electric vehicles (EVs). Participating schools will receive a kit comprising essential components for constructing the competing EVs. However, there’s a unique twist: Edison Motors, the organizer, intentionally excludes detailed instructions on vehicle construction and supplies only specific parts. This setup necessitates that the performance of each entered vehicle largely depends on the creativity and engineering prowess of the participating students.
This competition not only ignites participants’ enthusiasm for EV technology but also serves as a platform for honing their engineering skills, critical thinking, organizational abilities, and collaborative teamwork. It challenges students to devise creative solutions and innovate without explicit instructions, fostering a culture of ingenuity and resourcefulness.
You can find out more about the competition here.
