PLTW Student Receives
President’s Environmental Youth Award
Brent Singleton, a senior at Bonneville High School in Ogden, Utah,
has won the President's Environmental Youth Award, according to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. In April, Singleton will travel to
Washington, D.C., where he and PEYA winners from the Agency's other regions
will meet President Bush in an award ceremony at
the White House.
Singleton is being honored as an emerging leader in electric vehicle
design. For a science fair and Eagle Scout project, he purchased a
dismantled hybrid vehicle from Weber State University and modified it. The
result was the world's first hybrid land speed racer. He has raced
the vehicle in hybrid and zero-emissions mode at the world famous Bonneville
Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah. Then, to help with his daily drive to school,
he added solar panels and wind generators to recharge his 96-volt electric
system while in class.
When Singleton travels to various racing venues, he uses his solar and
wind-powered "Quadbrid" to tow his other race car -- the National Hot Rod
Association's first electric-powered junior Dragster -- used in electric
land speed racing. This Quadbrid tow-car and electro-dragster
is the world's first fully sustainable race outfit.
"Brent has done some amazing and innovative things with his vehicle
modifications," said Robert E. Roberts, Regional Administrator for EPA's
Region 8 office. "His cutting-edge cars are wonderful examples of applied
science and engineering making a difference. Brent isn't just
setting speed records; he is advancing the development of high-performance
electric vehicles and raising public awareness about alternative fuels,
sustainability and the ecological importance of places like the Bonneville
Salt Flats."
The awards have been presented annually since 1971 to honor students in
kindergarten through twelfth grade who develop projects that help protect
their environments and promote
environmental awareness in their communities.
See Brent’s pictures and cars at Megawatt Motorworks - Electric Vehicle Information for Performance Enthusiasts