collegenews Environmental Studies students pose with 1939 Pontiac. From left to right, Preston Moore, Mike Bankert, Steven Belknap, Eric Lefevers, Justin Morgan, Nomin Baasandavaa, Madison Ericson, Ryan Montoni, Jackie McCann (mechanic), Tucker Prisley and Stephen Floyd.
Classic car conversion News of RC Electric’s project was carried on the Discovery Channel, USA Today and Autoweek magazine websites.
A ROANOKE COLLEGE student organization that explores alternative energy sources is restoring a classic car by converting it from gas to electric power. Roanoke students who were part of an environmental class in 2010 came up with the idea to convert a 1939 Pontiac Silver Streak into a fully electric vehicle. They had in mind Roanoke’s slogan, “Classic for Tomorrow.” The class created the RC Electric club — the College’s first student-run organization devoted to making the campus more energy efficient — to ensure that the project would be carried out and completed. So far, more than 50 Roanoke students have participated in the Pontiac project. Club advisor is Dr. Jon Cawley, associate professor of Environmental Science. The College purchased the car for $1,500 from a garage in Blacksburg, Va. The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, used the car prior to World War II to transport the rich and famous to the resort from a nearby train station. To get started on the electric conversion, Roanoke students stripped the Pontiac and had it professionally sandblasted to remove rust inside and out. They painted the car a burgundy red wine pearl color to match the College’s color scheme. This project “shows that we can move forward and be
green,” said Eric Lefevers ’13, president of RC Electric. Lefevers has been responsible for scheduling project meetings, ordering parts for the car, contacting mechanics and recruiting sponsors to help purchase additional parts. One of the sponsors is Mac and Bob’s Restaurant in Salem, which is donating LED headlights for the vehicle. Though the Pontiac can’t run on its own yet, its transformation has drawn quite a bit of national media attention. Once word got out about RC Electric’s ambitious plans, the news was picked up on the Discovery Channel, USA Today and Autoweek magazine websites, on the Autoevolution and Revmodo websites, and on the autobloggreen blog. Nissan LEAF gave the project a shout-out on its Facebook page. (LEAF is Nissan’s electric car.) The car was on display the weekend of the 2012 Commencement. The Virginia Museum of Transportation in downtown Roanoke wants to display the car during the winter months. RC Electric will continue to work on the vehicle’s electric conversion and restoring its upholstery and interior. The club’s ultimate goal is to have the car completed and running with a direct current electric motor, which operates with rechargeable batteries, by Roanoke’s Alumni Weekend in the spring of 2014. — Kristina Breux ’12 5