Courtesy photo From left, Damyn Smith, Kaden Simonsen, Brendon Johnson, Austin Rafuse and Creighton Smith (driver), pose with their electric car at the Road America Racetrack in Wisconsin. The race team competed against other Midwest schools to see whose vehicle can complete the most laps around the track’s 4.048 mile loop in an hour, dependent upon the car’s battery life.

ESCANABA — Students from Bill Dufour’s Product Design and Development class at the Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District have been designing and building electric vehicles for the past six years. These vehicles, which are required to meet design specifications and pass a series of braking and maneuverability tests, are put to the test against similar electric vehicles across the Midwest in the annual ChallengeUSA Electrathon Race.

“Every year we work as a class to build and design a car,” Creighton Smith, 11th grader and driver of the team’s car, said. “Building and designing has taught me all about teamwork, because we have had to work together to build this. We all have our own little things that we are doing all at the same time.”

Located at Elkhart Lake, five students from Dufour’s class traveled to Wisconsin’s Road America track to put their car’s speed, agility, and battery life to the test. Over a two day series, students from the DSISD raced around the track’s 4.048 mile loop in a total of four race heats, with time given in between races to repair and modify the car as needed.

“I think my students always do well, I never worry about them going down to compete,” Dufour said. “Those who do compete are really interested in what we are doing and they are solid individuals. They do a great job and I do everything I can to step back and let them work on their own.”

At this year’s competition, 20 cars from various schools competed in a single heat. Dufour’s team, the only team representing Michigan, competed in Class 1 at the event. Class 1 is the most prohibitive of the four class options, with strict rules limiting the students in terms of the vehicle’s body and battery use. The goal of the competition was to see which vehicle could make the most laps around the track in an hour, contingent upon the battery life of the vehicles.

“Getting the batteries in and keeping them charged was the most difficult part,” Austin Rafuse, 11th grader and member of the race team, said. “We have multiple sets of batteries, so when one set dies we can just put another one in. It’s a race against time.”

Currently relying on old car batteries to power their vehicle, Dufour plans to switch to lithium ion batteries in the future. While lithium ion batteries are lighter than most alternatives, they also provide a more reliable power source that is similar to the modern-day electric cars presently on the market.

“Lithium ion has a whole lot more power in such a little battery. We are actually looking at getting a bunch of remote control race car batteries and hooking those up to our car,” Dufour said. “We have built a nice car, but our biggest limiting factor has been batteries.”

At this year’s competition, the team’s car passed a series of preliminary tests, including proper steering, braking, and acceleration functions, with flying colors. Although suffering a flat tire after their second race, the team was able to patch it up and make it to the starting line for their third race in time.

“This year the team’s car raced really well,” Dufour said. “I think the students know what they need to do, it’s just a continuity issue in terms of information as a result of COVID.”

The COVID-19 pandemic eliminated the knowledge base that Dufour’s class typically has regarding the electric car. In losing nearly a year and a half of instruction, most of the students working on this year’s car were unfamiliar with the design and goals of the vehicle. However, students adjusted quickly to get the vehicle into shape for competition this year, including an entire redesign of the vehicles kingpins and axels.

“This year was our last year with our current car, so now we have to design a new one,” Smith said. “After three years you are no longer allowed to use your existing frame.”

With a new frame to be made, students are essentially starting the entire car-building process from scratch. This forces students to coordinate in a problem-solving manner to build, change, and modify past models to create an elite version of past cars. It also allows Dufour to share information about the foundational aspects of car building with younger students.

“The car is the only constant in my class, otherwise everything else is constantly changing,” Dufour said. “It’s not about this car only, because not everyone wants to work on the car. Others want to draw and design things in CAD (computer-aided design) rather than have this hands-on approach, which is totally fine.”

In utilizing a CAD software called SOLIDWORKS, Dufour’s Product Design and Development class prepares students for careers in the engineering, manufacturing, and product design fields. Dufour’s class also collaborates with other DSISD classes, like machining, welding, automotive, and building trades, to help create their electric car.

“The students understand that this is not just about them. They have to have a team with complimentary skills to get this done,” Dufour said. “Students are getting feedback from one peer to another, someone in machining or welding telling my students what they need in order to complete their part or project.”

Dufour’s class is also heavily involved with the local community as well. Whether someone needs a trailer for their side-by-side built or a new part for their lawn mower, Dufour’s students are often tasked with completing these projects.

“We do a lot for the community. We have done a lot overall for people,” Smith said. “They will come to us and say ‘We need this designed differently,’ and we will do that for them. I think it is really cool to know that you are helping the community.”