Students Display Fully Functioning Electric Cars, Trucks, At CP&L-Sponsored EV Challenge April 27-28

    RALEIGH, N.C., April 24 Thousands of middle- and high-school students from throughout the
southeastern United States will gather here Friday, April 27, and Saturday,
April 28, to drive, test and compete their custom-built electric cars and
trucks at the 6th Annual Carolina Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge.
    The Carolina EV Challenge is a yearlong educational program for which
students convert an existing gasoline vehicle into a fully functioning,
"street legal" electric one.  CP&L sponsored the inaugural challenge in 1996,
when about 500 students from three North Carolina high schools competed.
    This year, more than 3,500 students from 30 high schools and middle
schools in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are expected
to attend.
    "This is an exciting, fun and challenging program that compels students to
think creatively about the environment and to find effective ways to lower the
amount of greenhouse gases that cars emit," said Ralph Goodwin, CP&L's
coordinator for the event.
    Goodwin said the EV Challenge curriculum brings together a host of
educational disciplines ranging from mathematics to auto mechanics, physics to
journalism.  Students must raise money for their projects, which encourages
them to develop and make public presentations to community sponsors.  Students
also develop Web sites as part of the curriculum.
    The Carolina EV Challenge is an educational outreach program of the
non-profit Carolina Electric Vehicle Coalition Inc., which was organized to
educate the public about electric vehicle science and to help advance its
research and development.

    The schools participating in the EV Challenge are:
    * Central Shenandoah Valley Governors School in Fishersville, Va.
    * Chaloner Middle School in Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
    * Conway Middle School in Conway, N.C.
    * Currituck High School in Barco, N.C.
    * East Garner Middle School in Garner, N.C.
    * East Gaston High School in Mount Holly, N.C.
    * Enloe High School in Raleigh, N.C.
    * Garner High School in Garner, N.C.
    * Harnett Central High School in Angier, N.C.
    * Hertford County High School in Ahoskie, N.C.
    * John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, N.C.
    * Lincoln County School of Technology in Lincolnton, N.C.
    * Marion Technical Center in Marion, S.C.
    * Martin Middle School in Raleigh, N.C.
    * Marshall High School in Richmond, Va.
    * Miramar High School in Miramar, Fla.
    * New Hanover High School in Wilmington, N.C.
    * North Johnston High School in Kenly, N.C.
    * Northampton-East High School in Conway, N.C.
    * Northeast Guilford High School in Greensboro, N.C.
    * Northern Vance High School in Henderson, N.C.
    * Richmond Technical Center in Richmond, Va.
    * Smoky Mountain High School in Cullowee, N.C.
    * Southern Durham High School in Durham, N.C.
    * Topsail High School in Hampstead, N.C.
    * Union County Career Center in Monroe, N.C.
    * Wake Forest/Rolesville High School in Wake Forest, N.C.
    * West Carteret High School in Morehead City, N.C.
    * Western Harnett High School in Lillington, N.C.
    * Winston-Salem/Forsyth Career Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

EV Challenge event timeline for high schools

    Friday, April 27:  Vehicle inspections, oral presentations,
troubleshooting and range event at the Harris Nuclear Plant Energy and
Environmental Center, located in New Hill, N.C. (southwest Wake County), from
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    Saturday, April 28: Autocross and design competition at the McKimmon
Center and N.C. State University Solar House, located at the intersection of
Western Boulevard and Gorman Street in Raleigh, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

EV Challenge event timeline for middle schools

    Saturday, April 28: Creativity and technical innovation contest and races
at the McKimmon Center and N.C. State University Solar House, located at the
intersection of Western Boulevard and Gorman Street in Raleigh, from 9 a.m. to
noon.

    To learn more about the EV Challenge, visit the program's Web site at
http://www.evchallenge.org.


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