EV Rover and EV Go Kart Pilots

The EV Rover and EV Go-Kart Pilots has advanced electric vehicle education by integrating engaging, hands-on learning experiences into high school engineering and technology programs. Focused on increasing awareness and foundational knowledge of electric vehicles (EVs), the project brought together Bergen Community College and several high school partners to design, build, and implement curriculum-aligned activities.

The EV Rover Laboratory curriculum was piloted successfully in the freshman Engineering Design course at Applied Technology High School, where students explored basic principles of DC circuits, forces, battery chemistry, and motion through project-based learning. Building on that momentum, the EV Go-Kart Design Challenge engaged upper-level students at Applied Technology High School (Paramus), Bergen County Technical School (Teterboro), and John Dwyer Technical Academy (Elizabeth) in a semester-long process of designing and constructing electric-powered go-karts using engineering design software and best practices resources.

All participating schools plan to continue the projects in the 2024–25 academic year with new student cohorts. A culminating EV Go-Kart Design and Performance Competition hosted by Bergen Community College is scheduled for Spring 2025, encouraging innovation and collaboration across school teams. The project has created sustainable, replicable curriculum models and documented best practices to allow broader adoption by other education institutions.