Lower Sixth Hamptonians took to the track at this year’s Greenpower electric car races, competing in the F24+ category at both Goodwood and Castle Combe.
The Greenpower project, which has run throughout the academic year, challenged pupils to build, modify and race an electric kit car as part of a national initiative promoting sustainable engineering. Working as a team, the budding engineers took responsibility for every stage of the process, from researching, developing and testing to raceday strategy and repairs.
A key highlight of the project was the introduction of several custom features, including a speed controller and a data logger. The addition of the speed controller enabled the team to incorporate a foot pedal into the car’s design – an innovation that was recognised with the Ford Engineering Award for Innovative Design, a significant achievement in a competitive field.
On race day at Goodwood, the team completed four laps of the circuit, before encountering an electrical fault causing a premature end to their on track testing. Not to be disheartened, the boys showed excellent problemsolving skills, successfully diagnosing and repairing the issue between races to get the car back on track. This resilience paid off later at Castle Combe, where the car completed an impressive ten laps of the circuit.
The Greenpower races provided a valuable opportunity for the pupils to apply classroom learning to a realworld engineering challenge, developing teamwork, technical expertise and perseverance along the way. The project stands as a testament to their commitment and enthusiasm, as well as to the strong culture of innovation and practical learning at Hampton.
Head of Design and Engineering, Mr Holdaway, praised the Hamptonians for their commitment and innovation throughout the project:
Back to All ArticlesIt was fantastic to see the team translate the science and theory they learned in the classroom into real‑world engineering, applying their knowledge to solve problems on the track as they arose.
