STA Experimental Vehicle Team to Represent the Americas at the Shell Drivers' World Championship in London

The Saint Thomas Academy Experimental Vehicle Team (EVT) will represent the Americas in the inaugural Shell Drivers’ World Championship in London on Sunday, July 3, 2016. The team won the honor by taking first place in the 2016 Shell Eco-marathon Americas in the Urban Concept Battery-Electric Category this past weekend. The team won the title by achieving 52.7 miles per kilowatt hour, or approximately the electric equivalent of 1,750 miles per gallon. In addition to the all-expenses-paid trip to London, the team won $2,000 for its program.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to represent our country in London this summer,” said EVT Adviser Caroline Little. “Our students take pride in our nation, and the Academy’s leadership program helps cultivate teamwork, both within our team and with others.

“Having used the 3M test facility was instrumental in our victory, as we were able to complete several practice runs, which allowed us to finesse the car’s performance,” Little said. “The team was thrilled to have out-performed teams from across North and South America, including Rice University, Duke University and Wright State University. We couldn’t have accomplished this without extreme dedication by the boys and the support of our sponsors, especially Power Systems Research.”

Vehicle Design Garners Off-Street Award
The team also took home the Vehicle Design Award for the Urban Concept category, which, according to Little, “the students were equally excited about the design award as they were about the overall victory. Seeing all of their unique vehicle features celebrated was truly memorable and rewarding.” Some of those unique features include LED turn signals, brake and running lights, and headlights, which retract into body when not in use.

Applying their knowledge of engineering, electrical systems and composite technology, the team designed and built the two-person, street-legal vehicle before school, after school, on weekends and during Christmas and Easter breaks. The vehicle features: - Four-wheel independent suspension - Hydraulic disc brakes - Carbon-fiber/urethane foam sandwich body - 48-volt lithium iron phosphate batteries that can go about 50 miles on a single charge - Battery packs that can be changed out in less than 30 seconds - Unoccupied vehicle weight: 132 kg or 290 pounds

Team sponsors included financial sponsors: Power Systems Research, Firebase, Saint Thomas Academy and the Frank Schlick ’85 Foundation. Among the team’s in-kind supporters are: Express Composites, Valspar, igus, Beau Ties Ltd., Precision Punch and Plastic, the Air Force Association, Horton, Youngstown Gloves, 3M, Ross Johnson Paint and Richard Westlake.

Team Members
Sophomores:
Jack Kotok
Alex Moeller
Sam Westlake
Joe Zirnhelt

Juniors:
Sam Edgerton
Patrick Gaylord
Peter Gould
John Houge
Jackson Mejia
Davis Hesdorffer

Seniors:
Tim D’Agostino
Will Dietz
Brendan Quinlan
Mitchell Gross
John Ingebrigtsen
William Sullivan

Faculty Advisers: Caroline Little Mark Westlake

About the Shell Eco-marathon
Shell Eco-marathon competitions challenge future automotive engineers and scientists to push the limits of energy efficiency and innovate solutions to the world's mobility challenges. Student-built vehicles have achieved more than 3,500 miles per gallon in the Americas challenge. For more information about all 2016 Eco-marathon events across the globe, including additional details on vehicle class requirements, official rules and details on prizes, visit www.shell.com/ecomarathon.

About the Experimental Vehicle Team
The Experimental Vehicle Team is a co-curricular program that teaches budding engineers real-life problem-solving skills. Past Experimental Vehicle Teams have built a safer electric motorcycle for urban commuting, a one-person car that got more than 1,300 mpg and an electric car that traveled 50 miles on two car batteries. The team has now won 10 national championships and set numerous national records in its history.

About Saint Thomas Academy
Founded in 1885, Saint Thomas Academy is an all-male, college preparatory, Catholic, military/leadership school committed to preparing young men to succeed in college and in life. The Academy challenges its students in grades 7-12 to excel academically, spiritually, morally and physically in and out of the classroom. It is fully accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS); a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Minnesota Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), and the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS). For more information, please visit www.cadets.com.