Government challenges students to design EV charge point

Run by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), the Eco-Innovators competition is open to 7-19-year-olds, split across two age categories. It is aiming to encourage budding innovators, engineers and artists to learn more about the engineering sector and zero-emissions transport.

Winners in each of the age categories (7-14 & 14-19) will have their designs made into real-life prototypes with support from industry experts. Their charge points will also be displayed at the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre in Milton Keynes. The competition was announced this week at the launch of the ‘Engineering: Take a Closer Look’ campaign, a legacy project of 2018’s Year of Engineering campaign.

“It’s an exciting time for engineering and I’ve seen first-hand the impact the Year of Engineering campaign has had, inspiring young people from all backgrounds into careers across the sector,” said Nusrat Ghani, the 2018 Year of Engineering minister.

“The Eco-Innovators competition encourages young people to see engineering as an exciting and creative career path, helping them shape the world around them and make a real difference.”

Submissions are open from now until 18 October 2019. Entries will be judged by a panel from organisations including the RAC Foundation, the National Grid, the National Transport Design Centre, Design Council, Living Streets, EV Thank You, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the minister, Jesse Norman.

“The government’s ambition is for the UK to have one of the best charging infrastructure networks in the world for electric vehicles, as we move towards a zero-emission future,” said Norman.

“I am delighted to be one of the judges of this terrific competition. We will be looking for really imaginative charge point designs that can play a big practical role in encouraging more people to buy and drive electric vehicles.”

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