EVolocity has launched an exciting new eight-week engineering experience designed to build confidence, skills, and long-term pathways in STEM for young women.
The Solar Innovators Programme is a pilot initiative developed as part of EVolocity’s Young Wāhine in STEM strategy. Launched on 27 March 2026 at the University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Engineering – Te Kaupeka Pūhanga, the programme gives young women the chance to take part in a hands-on engineering challenge with real-world connections to technology, design, electronics, and sustainable transport.
The programme is delivered in partnership with the University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Engineering, giving students access to specialist facilities, academic expertise, and mentoring. The solar power kits used in the pilot were made possible through the generous support of the Freemasons Foundation, a national sponsor of EVolocity’s motor kits programme. The programme is also supported by Orion, EVolocity’s founding sponsor and regional partner for Canterbury.
Burnside High School was proudly represented by Sreemoyee Tarafdar, Year 9; Genevieve Rankin, Year 9; Lucy Phan, Year 10; Chloe Pyo, Year 10; and Iris Zhang, Year 11.
As part of the final stage of the programme, students attended the event on Friday, 12 June, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at Waimairi Tennis Club, where they tested and raced their completed solar-powered vehicles.
Throughout the programme, students designed and engineered their own solar-powered remote-control vehicles. This was a complex task that required a wide range of new technical skills. Students had to learn how to use a new CAD programme, design and manufacture a base, create wheels and axles, and then build two separate circuit boards. One circuit board was used for a handheld wireless Arduino controller to steer the vehicle, while the other was built into the chassis to control and power the motors.
Once the vehicle was assembled, the work was far from over. Each cart needed to be tested, adjusted, fine-tuned, and made reliable enough to race. The students faced a range of technical issues right up to the starting line, including design challenges, electronics problems, steering issues, and the pressure of getting everything working in time.
Despite these challenges, the Burnside students showed outstanding determination, problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience.
The Burnside team of Lucy Phan, Chloe Pyo, and Iris Zhang won the Engineering Prowess Award, recognising the strength of their technical work and engineering approach.
The team of Sreemoyee Tarafdar and Genevieve Rankin won the Perseverance Award, acknowledging their persistence, effort, and commitment in overcoming the many challenges involved in completing their solar vehicle.
EVolocity Chief Executive Jason Maraku said the pilot is about much more than simply building a vehicle.
“This pilot is more than a build project, it’s a deliberate strategy to create belonging, confidence, and pathways for young wāhine into engineering and technology.”
The Solar Innovators Programme complements EVolocity’s flagship electric vehicle design-and-build challenge, with pilot participants encouraged to continue into full electric vehicle builds in the future.
Sheralee MacDonald, Innovation Facilitator at Orion, said the programme aligns strongly with Orion’s commitment to supporting future innovators.
“At Orion, our purpose of powering a cleaner and brighter future with our community means opening doors for the next generation. Fields such as engineering and energy benefit from a diverse workforce, which is why we’re proud to support EVolocity’s new Solar Innovators Programme, inspiring young wāhine to explore STEM at secondary school.”
The success of the Burnside students reflects the value of providing young women with authentic, challenging, and practical engineering experiences. The programme required technical skill, creativity, persistence, and confidence — and the Burnside teams showed all of these qualities throughout the eight-week challenge.
Their achievements are a fantastic example of young wāhine engaging with STEM, solving real engineering problems, and building skills that can open future pathways in technology, engineering, and innovation.
