3 days ago
Philadelphia students build electric vehicle from scratch, ushering in the future of transportation
The future of transportation is getting a jump start inside a classroom at the Community College of Philadelphia.
Students in the automotive technology program are gaining hands on experience by building an electric vehicle entirely from scratch. It's an ambitious project that could one day drive change.
"I feel good about it," CCP student Abdoul Sokhna said. "It's challenging, and it's helping us learn new things."
The car is one of only 400 vehicles like it in the world, CCP officials said. The project is giving students a rare opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology that's transforming the auto industry.
"The biggest challenge, I think, is getting all the wires and learning all the schematics," CCP student Fernando Almonte said.
Richard Saxton, assistant professor of automotive technology, is leading the project. He is helping students not only understand the technical aspects of electric vehicle construction, but inspiring them to think about the bigger picture.
"They're doing pretty good," Saxton said. "I think we're going to make it. We have a deadline next Wednesday. I'm hoping we'll be able to drive this car out of here by next Wednesday."
As the world moves toward cleaner energy and more sustainable transportation, students are getting a jump start on the future by learning how to build high voltage vehicles that are rapidly becoming the new standard.
"Everything is changing now," Sokhna said. "Everything is just technology, so having technology cars is very important for the future."
For Sokhna, this project isn't just an assignment. His long term goal is to use what he's learning to one day work alongside his father at the family's auto repair shop in Germantown.
"My main dream is just to go through the top, as high as I can," Sokhna said.
The class plans to finish the EV by next week and take it out for a test drive. After that, the instructor will disassemble the vehicle so the next group of students in the high voltage class, slated for summer 2026, can start from scratch.
