Power Drive

Power Drive Wraps Up 13th Year, Still Leading the Pack

• Photos of Power Drive Championships  Photos Courtesy of Omaha Camera Club
• Power Drive Finals Raw Scores

The Power Drive program in Nebraska,a light-electric vehicle competition for high school students, concluded its 13th year with the May 7 Championships at Werner Park in Papillion. Wayne High School won for overall performance in the standard class, while Columbus-Lakeview took top honors in the advanced class. Erik Glover of Doniphan-Trumble received the $1,500 Power Drive Scholarship and Aiden Schieuer of Omaha North won the $1,500 Paul High Scholarship. Both awards are funded by private donations.

 Power Drive continues to set the pace for high schools in 23 states that take part in Electrathon America competition. OPPD established Power Drive in 1998 and Nebraska Public Power District added its resources and has remained a valued partner.

“The Power Drive program is no longer a new thing in Nebraska, but interest is still really strong,” said Steve Anderson, an OPPD retiree who started the program in Nebraska and continues to work closely with Power Drive as a volunteer.

Reflecting the ongoing appeal of the program, Nebraska has 79 Electrathon members, plus 10 others from Iowa, making the program the largest in the nation, Steve said. Following Nebraska are Oregon with 69 teams, and Kansas with 39.

As a further indicator of the pace-setting status in Power Drive competition, two more states – Minnesota and Georgia – are using Nebraska as a model for setting up programs in their areas, Steve said.

Typically, more than 600 students participate each year in Nebraska’s Power Drive program. That number is based on an average of about six students working on a car. This year finds about 100 to 104 cars entered in competition, close to the record of 106 cars, Steve said. Some schools enter more than one car in the competition.

Although student interest remains near its peak, the Power Drive program may face a long-term issue in losing instructors to retirement, Steve said. About two-thirds of the teachers in the Power Drive program are industrial technology instructors, while about one-third are physics teachers. “We are having a harder time repopulating our instructor base because the academic community isn’t placing as much emphasis on it,” Steve said. Without an adequate number of industrial technology instructors, fewer schools would be able to participate in the Power Drive program.

Instructors Attend Seminar on Power Drive

OPPD's annual summer seminar teaches new instructors how to put together a Power Drive program, and gives veteran instructors an opportunity to share some of the lessons they have learned. The overall goal is to help instructors educate the workforce of the future.

The attached link to a Google document is a  sample Power Drive curriculum developed by graduate students at Wayne State College.

"We see a real need for skilled employees in the crafts and trades, and that kind of education needs to start at the high school level,” said Ben. “Power Drive is doing a great job of educating students and encouraging them to develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. We’re excited about this opportunity to show our support for their efforts.”

The tool boxes will be awarded to the winning schools at the Power Drive championships May 8. Snap-on will later provide the winning schools with a customized wrap or sticker designed with their school colors/mascot that can be attached to the inside of the toolbox lid. Each toolbox is worth about $2,000, so this represents a significant level of support for the program.

“Documentation is one of several areas judged in determining the overall Power Drive championships," said Steve Anderson, Executive Director. "We consider it to be one of the most important parts of the competition, so it's worth a lot of points to schools if they do a good job. Snap-on’s recognition of our winners will help emphasize that to all of our schools, and we appreciate the support of this international company.”

Power Drive Program

The Power Drive Program is an educational effort that challenges high school students to design and build one-person electric vehicles during the school year. In the spring, these teams of students compete with one another at organized rallies in areas such as vehicle braking, maneuverability and endurance.

OPPD established Power Drive in 1998 to give high school students a hands-on way to apply their studies and to promote interest in automotive, electric and energy technologies and careers. Nebraska Public Power District added its resources and has remained a valuable Power Drive partner.

Based on the program's growth since its inception, it's clear that the students, their teachers and schools have embraced the concept.

The experience the participants gain through the program is important because they are the energy decision-makers of the future.