Recharge Wrap-up: Google Street View maps gas leaks, Rolls-Royce helps kids build electric racer
Fri, Jul 18 2014
Consumer and environmental groups are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to change the way car advertisements disclose fuel economy. Nine groups, including Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists and Consumers Union, want mpg figures to be clearer and more complete. They have requested that when mpg is advertised, that it includes the EPA's city, highway and combined ratings. They also, among other requests, want mile-per-gallon-equivalent ratings for electric cars to state that they are for comparative purposes only, and to include separate gas and electric ratings for plug-ins and range extended EVs. See what else the groups have requested at Kicking Tires.
Rolls-Royce has a new electric car, and it's not the 102EX. The luxury automaker worked with a group of elementary school students in the UK to build an electric car for the IET Formula Goblin project, where students build and race their own electric "car." Rolls-Royce lent the 9, 10 and 11 year-olds a bit of engineering and manufacturing assistance to build the car, which they then raced at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Read more at World Car Fans, or check out the press release, below.
ROLLS-ROYCE SUPPORTS LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL'S RACING DEBUT
A team of school children mentored and supported by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars successfully completed the Greenpower IET Formula Goblin race at the Goodwood Motor Circuit on Sunday.
The group of 10 boys and girls from Years 5 and 6 built and piloted a specially developed electric car in a race against teams from schools across the UK. 'Team March', from the March CE Primary School adjacent to the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, finished well up the order and scooped the prize for 'Best Bodywork'.
Prior to the event, the team had taken a short break from race preparations to tour the Home of Rolls-Royce and meet and take inspiration from the apprentices, engineers, craftspeople and Bespoke designers that helped with the design and build of their car. 'Team March' were also presented with specially hand-stitched race overalls prepared in the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Leathershop before posing for a photograph in the Analysis Centre as the car underwent final pre-race checks.
The team of 9, 10 and 11 year-olds worked together to design the car – proposing ideas on how the final car should look before agreeing on a group direction. A team from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars then helped them turn their vision into reality, teaching the children fundamental engineering, manufacturing and teamwork skills in the process.
Andrew Ball, Global Corporate Communications Manager and Team Leader for the project, said, "We were delighted to support the March CE Primary School with their Greenpower entry. The team at Rolls-Royce were impressed with the children's enthusiasm and passion for the project and we have no doubt that they are engineers of the future."
The race was organised by the Greenpower Education Trust, a charity that aims to promote sustainable engineering and technology to young people across the UK. Since inception in 1999, GreenPower has rapidly grown and now works with 500 schools and over 8,000 students.
A team of school children mentored and supported by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars successfully completed the Greenpower IET Formula Goblin race at the Goodwood Motor Circuit on Sunday.
The group of 10 boys and girls from Years 5 and 6 built and piloted a specially developed electric car in a race against teams from schools across the UK. 'Team March', from the March CE Primary School adjacent to the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, finished well up the order and scooped the prize for 'Best Bodywork'.
Prior to the event, the team had taken a short break from race preparations to tour the Home of Rolls-Royce and meet and take inspiration from the apprentices, engineers, craftspeople and Bespoke designers that helped with the design and build of their car. 'Team March' were also presented with specially hand-stitched race overalls prepared in the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Leathershop before posing for a photograph in the Analysis Centre as the car underwent final pre-race checks.
The team of 9, 10 and 11 year-olds worked together to design the car – proposing ideas on how the final car should look before agreeing on a group direction. A team from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars then helped them turn their vision into reality, teaching the children fundamental engineering, manufacturing and teamwork skills in the process.
Andrew Ball, Global Corporate Communications Manager and Team Leader for the project, said, "We were delighted to support the March CE Primary School with their Greenpower entry. The team at Rolls-Royce were impressed with the children's enthusiasm and passion for the project and we have no doubt that they are engineers of the future."
The race was organised by the Greenpower Education Trust, a charity that aims to promote sustainable engineering and technology to young people across the UK. Since inception in 1999, GreenPower has rapidly grown and now works with 500 schools and over 8,000 students.
Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce IET Formula Goblin
- News Source: Gizmodo, Kicking Tires, Rolls-Royce via World Car Fans
- Image Credit: Rolls-Royce
- Government/Legal
- Green
- Marketing/Advertising
- Rolls-Royce
- Fuel Efficiency
- Electric
- Racing Vehicles
- recharge wrapup
- mpg
- mpge
- google street view
By John Beltz Snyder
See also: Neglected Rolls-Royce Phantom may be the saddest of all time, eBay Find of the Day: Andy Warhol's 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Aeroboat packs 1,100 seahorses of Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 power.