EVolocity

Each year, the EVolocity in Schools programme involves a notable highlight: groups of students get together to experience the thrill of building their own Electric Vehicle — by converting ordinary bicycles into electric ones. They then compete among each other, with prizes that span multiple categories.

EVolocity is a charitable organisation aimed at educating New Zealanders on the environmental and economic benefits of EVs. A big part of what they do is outreach amongst young people in areas such as technology and engineering. With regional support across Auckland, Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury, the organisation is growing to include more students and volunteers.

Beyond the building and design competitions, they also provide resources on electric vehicles and technology that are available to everyone. Find out more about EVolocity on their official website.

Our Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering and Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering are proud co-sponsors of EVolocity's Innovation category. This includes three sub-categories: performance data measurement, engineering excellence, and the Computer Aided Design (CAD) competitions.

We also extend our support by organising and hosting annual launch events — and have been since 2018 — as well as four build camps for secondary school students in the Auckland region:

• Build Camp 1: This involves CAD lessons, with support from one of our academics, Stephen Kavermann, from the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
• Build Camp 2: Conducted by EVolocity and supported by the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering, this session teaches students how to develop a simple motor controller.
• Build Camp 3: Electrical and Electronics Engineering lecturer, Duleepa Thrimawithana, hosts groups of students and teaches them how to use Arduino.
• Build Camp 4: The final session is conducted by our Engineering student-run FSAE team, who provide feedback to participants on the safety aspects of their carts (pre-scrutineering).

Our team of volunteers also travel to regional schools, and as sponsors and experts we are also involved with judging the regional and national events to select the winners of each sub-category.