Students of Columbia Basin College in America are embracing the electric vehicle revolution by hosting the 2014 Electrathon Car Rally on campus. The requirements for entering? Participating students will be required to plan, design and build a fully functional one-person seater electric car.

It has been confirmed that pit crews will be available to support the drivers, and the course is speculated to be full of tight turns, to test entrant’s vehicles. Although, it isn't solely speed and handling that will be being judged, the contestants will be also measured on how many laps each vehicle can make in a hour, with a preselected amount of battery power.

The rally is intended to display and promote skill, creativity, forward planning and logical thinking methods, as well as raising awareness in the student community of alternative and greener transport methods. It is hoped this rally will increase the level of electric transport in the area.

Mr. Blackman of Franklin PUD said about the rally “it’s a serious race, people will be surprised to see how fast they go and how competitive it is”.

Either way, it’s great to see schools putting an ingenious spin on promoting the importance of efficient energy use, as well as educating the students and attendees alike on how we can work together for a better future. You never know, it might not be long until we see something similar to this in the UK, as many have been speculating that Red Bull are looking to hold a similar race, at some point in the future.