The Leopards team wins UAE’s inaugural Greenpower electric kit car race
Ten students from GEMS American Academy (DAA) have won the first Greenpower race to be held in the UAE. The Leopards beat off stiff competition from fellow school teams from across the Emirates when they recorded the fastest time at Dubai Autodrome recently.
Opportunity for Students to dive into STEM
The Greenpower competition, which has been running in other parts of the world for some 20 years, uses the thrill of motor sport to help young people, from primary school age through to university, excel in science, technology, engineering, and maths. Participating schools form teams, each made up of three drivers and support crew, to design and build electric kit cars, which they then go on to race on the track.
“The Green Power competition offers an excellent opportunity for students to dive into STEM,” explained Padraig Gaughan, one of the DAA teachers who supported The Leopards. “Seeing them collaborate, each contributing their strengths, was incredible. Every student made a meaningful impact on our success, learning invaluable teamwork and problem-solving skills along the way.”
The impact
“The Green power experience was amazing from start to finish. We started building the car back in October and it has been amazing to see how much progress has been made and how our car has transformed to a race winner. We are excited to come back next year with an even faster car,” said Fadi Kazk of The Leopards team.
“Overall, building the car was a very valuable experience due to the personal experience with electrical engineering and all the nuances needed in construction. Additionally, plenty of experience was gained in terms of strategy during the actual race and coming up with a gameplan,” said fellow teammate Julian Decrauzat.
Blazing a trail towards eco-friendly driving, the electric race cars provide our students with hands-on experiences in designing, building, and racing their own eco-friendly vehicles. The Dubai American Academy Leopards will return next year to hold on to their winning title!
More photos from The Leopards' Green Power journey
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