Plum Electric Kart

It’s no secret that transportation has to change to accommodate our ever-evolving world. Many countries are experiencing a population boom and roads and cities are becoming smoggy and congested.Gas prices are expected to skyrocket and vehicles will become cumbersome and unobtainable. However, we believe that personal transportation shouldn't make you worry about paying for an expensive car or covering large gas bills. Personal transportation is supposed to be the ultimate expression of freedom, not limitation. You could buy an electric or hybrid car, but many are astronomically expensive or incredibly dull.

Often times, it seems as if there isn't a car to meet all of these needs. However, Plum Senior High School is out to prove this belief wrong. We think that electric cars are the future, but they need much improvement before anyone will want to buy them.The problem with modern electric cars is that they really aren't the ultimate expression of freedom, as cars are often considered.They are generally ugly, expensive, impractical, and cause heart attacks due to range anxiety (that last one may or may not be true). Either way, there is indeed a problem with electric cars. But we still have faith in them.

Electric cars are wonderful in a few ways:

#1- Less pollution!

#2- Torque, as in they have lots of it

#3- Room for improvement

This last point is big. Electric cars actually were present in the early twentieth century, but sputtered out and lost momentum. Not until around 1990 did we see a reemergence of electric vehicles. Unfortunately, they were generally awful. The newer ones are nice, but usually uninspiring. But then again, these designs haven't had a lot of chances to improve yet. That’s where we come in! We think that electric cars should retain the efficiency and torque, but also improve upon the looks, range, and cost. It seems like a tall task and, let’s be honest, it is. We’re up to the challenge; our engineering department truly shows a love for invention, engineering, and problem solving. From conception to completion, we will design prototype, redesign, and build the electric vehicle.

As far as the vehicle itself, it will be completely electric! The difference between mass produced electric cars and our's is how we make the car. By recycling pre-loved motorcycle, scooter, and quad parts, we can keep the cost down. To save more money, we will design the chassis and much of the rest of the car. The car itself will be fairly small, sort of like a go-kart on steroids. We will take advantage of the size to create a car that is light, more efficient, fun to drive, and easier to maneuver. To further the efficiency, we will use a small electric motor (don’t worry, there will be plenty of power for the car’s size) and plenty of batteries to extend the range well beyond the average electric vehicle.

We like to think that the Plum Borough School District “E-Kart” showcases the theme “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". Our car will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reuse old parts, and recycle the use of batteries.