December 16, 2011

Students in English 12 classes this week checked out and drove two electric vehicles as part of a unit they are studying on alternative energy and its practical and economical day-to-day applications.

Armory Nissan in Albany and Mangino Chevrolet in Amsterdam provided a Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt for the students to compare. Teacher Rick Warren said the students have been studying and researching alternative fuel vehicles in class.

Here are a two examples of the students' research:

▪ A comparison of two types of vans - one gas and one electric - by Christian LeVielle and Michael Nietfeld. The students concluded that the initial price of the gas van and the annual operating costs of the gas van outweighed the benefit of the electric van's longer life expectancy. View their presentation here (PDF).

▪ A second project by Mark Gibson compared the costs of High Speed Railroad transportation and the Maglev Train (an electro-magnetic levitation train that glides above a guideway) which would be used to transport pharmaceuticals across long distances. He concludes that the the Maglev Train, while faster than High Speed Rail, costs much more than typical rail. However, an electric van would be less expensive for local transportation. View his presentation here (PDF).

Armory Nissan sales consultant Thom Thayer and Mangino Chevrolet sales consultant Jim Elliott rode with 3-4 students on each ride. They traveled north on Sacandga Road to Vley Road and back to the village or to the village and to the industrial park and back to the high school.

Students in Warren's period 1 and 3 classes participated in this 'reverse field trip.'

Below are a few pictures from today's test drives. Click on the photos to enlarge them: