This summer's high gas prices made alternative fuel technologies a popular topic of conversation. For a group of Ivy Tech students and some friends of the College, however, these technologies are more than just a passing interest. Instead of just talking about changing the way we travel, they're putting their words into action.

The students worked to transform a 2000 Ford Ranger from a gas guzzler into an electric vehicle at Ivy Tech's East Chicago location. The project was made possible by a gift from Dr. Richard Barnes, an international businessman in Gary, and his wife Carole. The couple's goal was to promote the idea of electricity as a source of fuel and also provide the next level of training to those in the automotive industry.

Juan Guadiana, instructor and chair of the automotive program, said that students will do all the work on converting the truck.

"This complemented what we already do with our hands-on instruction," he says. "It provided an opportunity for new students coming into the program and professionals already in the field to get first hand experience with these types of vehicles." The process of conversion was included in the program's curriculum in the fall of 2007.

Ivy Tech is the first educational institution in the region to work on such a project. The students converting the truck, therefore, are among a select few who have experience in converting a gas vehicle to electric.

"This project will not only introduce EVs to northwest Indiana, but will provide our students in our automotive program an opportunity to be on the leading edge of working with this technology," says Louie Gonzalez, executive dean of the East Chicago campus.

Electric vehicles, or EVs, utilize energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. These batteries provide the power used in electric motors instead of the internal combustion engines found in regular cars. There is a greater conversion percentage than with gasoline, so less energy is lost during travel. The vehicles use no gasoline, and because they have no combustion engines, they emit virtually no air pollutants. They provide a maintenance free, cost effective mode of transportation.

There still are some limitations that have prevented electric vehicles from becoming more widely adopted. Most electric

A group of East Chicago Ivy Tech
students is working to make
automobiles more energy efficient.

For now, the truck is a symbol of things to come - and a point of pride for Ivy Tech. O'Merrial Butchee, executive director of the Ivy Tech Gerald I. Lamkin Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center says that the vehicle will be on display throughout northwest Indiana. "We embrace innovation here at Ivy Tech and we plan to take this vehicle to high schools, place it in parades, and even show it at area businesses."