Greenpower

Greenpower is the trading name of a charitable organisation, the Greenpower Education Trust, whose objective is to inspire more young people to become engineers by presenting the engineering industry as an interesting and relevant career choice which could help to solve problems relating to the personal, social and emotional development (known in Britain as PSED) of individuals and societies. The main idea is for teams of students between the ages of 9 and 25 to build and race their own electric powered race cars on top racing circuits such as Goodwood.

The trust originated from a study by Sussex Chamber of Commerce in 1998 which considered the needs of engineering companies in that region. The investigation revealed low levels of interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the so-called STEM school subjects).

The Greenpower project started in 1999 to encourage students to design, build and race their own electric race cars within professionally drafted specifications and only a small helping hand from experienced adults. Events were organized for weekends at major motor circuits around the UK to facilitate attendance from the general public. Circuits included (and still include) Goodwood, Castle Combe and Dunsfold (top gear test track).

Greenpower claims that it now works with 500 schools providing events around the UK. Its Headquarters are at Fontwell in Southern England and Greenpower national events were run at the nearby Goodwood Motor Circuit whose owner is a Patron of Greenpower. Beginning in 2015 the International Final is held at Rockingham Motor Speedway in the middle of October as a two day event, and attracts some 170 cars from all over the UK and Ireland with a small number of entries from international teams in America, Poland and South Africa. The Corporate Challenge attracts entries from large companies and universities as far away as Poland, up to 2012 this had been held at Goodwood or Silverstone but in 2013 was amalgamated with the Final of the F24 championship at Rockingham.

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