Youngsters got into gear as they took part in a green-powered challenge.

A team of 12 pupils from Tendring Technology College at Thorpe have been working together to build an electric car.

Teams from schools across the country designed and built their own cars with the aim of attaining the furthest distance they could within six hours.

And the youngsters, aged between 12 and 15, did so well they have got through to the finals automatically.

The challenge was organised by Greenpower.

Each team is given an identical 240-watt motor and four 12-volt car batteries, of which only two were allowed on a car at a time.

Greenpower organise 11 local heats - two sprint races and the other nine are full six-hour endurance races.

The Essex heat was held at the Ford test track at Dunton, near Basildon, on Sunday

The Thorpe team's car, called Phatman, got off to a great start in third position.

But then disaster struck as the drive wheel, which is the only powered wheel out of the four on the car, blew out, leaving them stranded at the other end of the circuit.

They went on to regain lost laps and move back up to pole position.

The team finished first and won three awards at the event one for innovation.

Published Tuesday July 27, 2004

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