PowerDrive

Power drive is a program that encourages automotive-related and energy-related industries. It brings focus to students' math, science, auto mechanics, and etc. During this program, students make a safe, energy-efficient vehicle that they can use to participate in a series of rallies and races in the spring. Students work as a team along with instructors and supervisors trained in Power Drive Workshops. Bancroft-Rosalie Schools Power Drive program was run by Rob Smith followed by T.J. Hilsinger from 2001 to 2015. In March of 2012, Bancroft-Rosalie School was awarded $5000 from the Fontanelle Company. The money was used to purchase equipment for metal fabrication.

WHAT IS POWER DRIVE:

In the 1998-1999 school year, Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) started a program called Power Drive. This program changed students' lives by challenging them to design and build electric-powered vehicles. After a team builds a car, they compete against others at different rallies. The rallies consist of three categories: braking, maneuverability, and endurance. During the endurance competition, cars race for one hour on two 12-volt batteries. The team that completes the most laps in one hour is the winner. For the braking competition, the car accelerates to a speed of fifteen miles per hour. After reaching a line on the track, the brakes must be applied. The winner is the car that stops within the shortest distance from the braking line. For maneuverability, five safety cones are set up twenty-five feet apart in the maneuverability competition Starting at a certain point, the car must maneuver around the cones and get back to the start in the shortest time frame.