About a year ago, a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation gave Southwestern Community College’s Automotive Systems Technology students the opportunity to construct and program an Electric Vehicle.
A second round of funding received this month will allow SCC’s instructors to take their EV show on the road.
Recently announced Duke Energy Foundation funding is supporting Phase 2 of what SCC officials are calling “Project E-Volve” – the electric vehicle kit project that Program Coordinator David Myers and Instructor Marty Rowland assembled with their students last fall.
The new grant will allow SCC to buy a Mobile EV Lab that instructors can take to area high schools, where students will gain the essential skills of EV maintenance before transitioning to electric vehicle troubleshooting.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone at the Duke Energy Foundation,” Myers said. “Our students got the experience of a lifetime last fall working on the EV we purchased from Switch Labs. The skills they gained on that project set them up to be successful in their careers from the moment they graduate. With this Phase 2 funding, we’ll be able to reach the next generation of automotive technicians.”
SCC’s current students will also benefit from the Mobile EV Lab as they’ll be able to develop technical proficiency in a lower-voltage, safe environment before working on fully functioning EVs.
“This is a powerful example of the profound impact that a gift from a local organization can have on the lives of our students,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s President. “The Duke Energy Foundation is fundamentally transforming the way our automotive students are learning, and our communities will benefit greatly because local employers will be able to hire graduates with cutting-edge skills that are in high demand these days.”
Lisa Leatherman, the Nantahala District Manager for Duke Energy Carolinas, added: “I am grateful for the strong and longstanding collaboration with Southwestern Community College and the positive impacts that work continues to have on the communities we serve.”
For more information about the Automotive Systems Technology program at SCC, contact Myers at 828.339.4237 or d_myers@SouthwesternCC.edu or visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu.
To learn more about the Duke Energy Foundation, visit foundation.duke-energy.com.
