Our new batteries have arrived, and we have been working for the past week on installing a box to use that holds the batteries. We are going to be using 44 of these batteries in our Miata.
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As of yesterday we recycled all of old lead acid batteries. In doing this we made $850 on them.
Yesterday the EV Team bought fire proof wood to be used in the new battery box for the Miata. We plan on cutting and installing the wood this week and next.
To make room for our new batteries we have begun taking out the old batteries. IT's exciting, and we can't wiat to put them in later this week. It's been a hard process to come up with a new design for the
Mr. Tolberts Technology classes are getting a set of new computers. The old computers where several years old, and it will be nice to get the new ones so we will be able to run SolidWorks a lot faster.
At the end of last week the ev team took the old batteries out of the Miata to put them into the golf cart and GEM car. Even though these are used batteries they work amazing in the carts.
Mr. Mule brought his new Tesla model S to West yesterday. He gave people rides, and let our teacher, Mr. Tolbert, test drive it. It was an amazing event, and he told us he was planning on going to go to the EV Challenge.
This interview was taken last spring with Ryan Shumate. Q&A:
Ashley: “Have you used anything you learned in the EV program in the college program now?” Ryan: “I learned many things while being a part of the EV team but I would say that the most important aspect of the whole program for me was that it built character. Many tasks throughout the EV Challenge were tasks where professor supervision was not always in affect such as the painting process of the Ranger. No supervision in some areas taught me to be able to problem solve and complete tasks on my own for which I was responsible for which truly justifies the saying, “Character is what you do when no one is looking.” I believe this trait is something that has helped me throughout my current college program to always stay diligent to complete any task no matter how insurmountable it may seem.” A:“How did the EV program prepare you for college?” R: “As said previously, the EV program helped me build character and develop a stronger work ethic which helped me prepare for college. The EV program also helped me to become a stronger asset when put into a team situation. Throughout many technical programs in college as well as professional careers you are put on teams which are responsible for completing certain tasks. There are multiple aspects to be considered when working within a team. You must first be able to get along with others and be open minded when it comes to others and considering their ideas. You also must be able to communicate on a technical level being able to use multiple ideas put together in order to build a stronger final design or product” A:“Do you have any advice for us students now?” R: “My advice to current high school level EV Challenge students would be to stay focused on school work and to realize that if you are truly passionate about something then you should pursue that as a career while still being conscious that you need to work for and earn everything that you learn and accomplish.” A:“What was the most challenging project you ever worked on in EV?” R: “The most challenging project that I worked on during the EV program was a combination of the restoration of the Ford Ranger as well as the fundraising sponsorship program that we began at the beginning of the program. The restoration of the Ranger was challenging due to the shear amount of work that had to be completed and the dedication that it took to complete the project no matter what. The fundraising sponsorship program was challenging for me because it required the use of public speaking. While looking for sponsorships, the team would often travel to different local businesses where a sponsorship note would have to be said to the managers of the company. Public speaking was a weakness of mine but it paid off to be able to improve upon this skill throughout the sponsorship seeking portion of the project.” A: “How difficult was it tearing the Ranger down?” R: “Tearing the Ranger down was actually not difficult at all. It was something that I enjoyed and was able to work on with other teammates who were also friends of mine. Whenever you are doing something you truly enjoy it will often seem fun instead of difficult.” A: “What was your favorite part about EV?” R: “My favorite part about the EV program was seeing all of the hard work pay off and being able to see and drive the final product. Accomplishing this goal was really put into perspective whenever we were able to take the vehicle that we had created to competition in Raleigh and was able to compete competitively against other schools though we were just a first year team.” A: “Do you have any funny stories about EV while you were in it, that you would like to share?” R: “I have many stories from the EV program that were pretty much hilarious/crazy at the time and still talked about today. One day myself and a few other teammates were hauling the Ranger bed from City Body Shop to teammate Devin Harris’s house in order to sand and bondo the bed. Next thing you know, I looked in the rear view mirror (I was driving) and the bed was sliding down the highway behind us. This happened right in front of Arby’s in Wilkesboro as well which is a pretty busy highway. We pulled over and jumped out of the truck but I forgot to put my e-brake on. This led to having to chase my truck down real quick to stop it before going to get the actual Ranger bed out of the middle of the highway. In the end everything was ok and is still a story we laugh about today. Another funny story now is having to paint one of the Ranger fenders throughout the middle of the night because it had been damaged. The story is funny to think of now because me and teammate Devin Harris were having to stay up and paint this fender and I can remember holding a piece of pizza in one hand and a light in the other while he sprayed the paint. Another funny one is while traveling to Raleigh for competition we stopped at McDonald’s and one teammate was told that if he ate 50 nuggets then we would pay for them but he was pretty much sick by 49 and might have puked? I can’t really remember. Anyways, he had to buy them because yes, he had one more nugget to eat. Many funny stories, great times, and great memories I have from the EV program.” One of the new projects the EV Team has embarked is to create a new battery box that will hold bigger batteries. Over the weekend Caleb built a cardboard version of what we hope to put in the Miata.
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AuthorWest High's EV Team
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