To celebrate 20 years of teamwork with the charity Greenpower Education Trust, Ford recently turned its high-tech test track at Dunton Campus into a racetrack filled with over 55 electric cars, all designed and built by students aged 9 to 16!
As well as having a lot of fun along the way, these young racers were also learning important skills in science, technology, engineering, and maths (also known as STEM).
Greenpower has a mission to get kids excited about engineering by challenging them to create battery-powered cars from kits. As they get older and more experienced, they even start designing their cars from scratch.
By 2035, the UK might need about 30,000 more trained electric vehicle (EV) technicians to keep up with all the new electric cars that will be on the road. With the government aiming for 100% of new cars to be zero-emission by then, we’ll need lots of people to build and fix them.
Ford invited more than 200 of its own employees to help out, doing everything from checking the safety of the student-built cars to judging interesting design features. They also gave career tips about everything from battery safety to analysing race data.
“Ford is incredibly proud to mark 20 years of partnership with Greenpower Education Trust. Encouraging young people to pursue STEM careers is critical to the future of mobility, and Greenpower provides an outstanding platform to ignite that passion.”
Jim Farley, CEO of Ford
This type of event shows how young people today could become the car designers, engineers, and tech experts of tomorrow.
“Greenpower is immensely grateful for Ford’s long-standing partnership and their foresight in recognising the value of investing in young engineering talent. For over 20 years, Ford has been a cornerstone supporter of the charity, and without their commitment, we simply would not have been able to reach and inspire thousands of young people. The Ford Dunton event has become a highlight in our calendar -offering students a unique chance to go behind the scenes at a leading automotive facility and experience the thrill of driving their cars on the test track. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ford for making this opportunity possible, and to the incredible volunteers who work tirelessly to bring the day to life, we look forward to the next 20 years of collaboration.”
Barnabas Shelbourne, CEO, Greenpower Education Trust
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