Tiverton HS Student Builds Plug-In Electric Vehicle

Alec Figueiredo, Tiverton High School student, helped build a plug-in EV that is rated at 1552 MPGe for a total investment of $1,584.

Gas 2 reported that the electric vehicle is named Apotheosis, which means the highest point of development. The car is the successor to last year’s experimental car, called Endurance, that had a cost of under $1,000 and was rated at 425 MPGe.

Endurance used a frame made of PVC plastic pipe, bicycle wheels and a brushless DC motor designed to power an electric-bike. The 2013 car weighed only 110 pounds and had a top speed of 18 mph. It had three 12 volt batteries and a range of 30 miles. Tiverton High graduates Zachary Silveira and Ryan Mirka built Endurance when they were seniors at the school. Figueiredo, who was a freshman at the time, assisted in the building process.

The 2014 model was improved with a light chassis created by way of quality batteries, roof solar panels and transformers. The electricity from the solar panel dramatically increases the range of the Apotheosis EV, giving it a 1,552 MPGe rating. Silveira donated $80 worth of materials to the creation of the new car.

Instructor Edwin Fernandes, who assisted with the project, said it took about 600 hours to complete.

Image via Shutterstock.