A group of Aussie teenage girls are building an electric Range Rover at school

[D J C]

 

Once a week, 25 teenage girls from four different Victorian high schools come together to work on a project car.

They meet at Bendigo South East College, where a first-generation Range Rover lies in pieces.

 

The body has been already separated from the chassis, with the next steps being an electric motor conversion and the installation of a new interior.

The project is run by Bendigo Tech School director Graeme Wiggins, who's believes the program will inspire more young women to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

 

"We're trying to create an aspiration pathway for young women who are interested in engineering, advanced manufacturing and automotive careers," Mr Wiggins told the ABC.

 

"And the interesting thing about this group is half were already hardcore car nuts to begin with, who were already considering careers in automotive or engineering."

 

The Range Rover was donated by local retiree Doug Peters, after hearing about the project.

 

He believes the girls will "learn a lot of patience" and that it's nice to see "kids learning and not being on their phones and computer, [and] actually physically doing things".

 

The project is expected to take 12 months to complete, with the finished Range Rover EV set to become an income-earning community rental asset.

 

Mr Wiggins said that future proceeds from the rental will go into a community enterprise that supports young entrepreneurs and their ideas.

 

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