© 2024 KRCU Public Radio
90.9 Cape Girardeau | 88.9-HD Ste. Genevieve | 88.7 Poplar Bluff
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Southeast Students Build Electric Dune Buggy

Andrea Barnes
Student prepares to drive the electric dune buggy.

Southeast Missouri State University students enrolled in manufacturing design produced an electric vehicle for their class. The Electric Vehicle Club is an on campus organization that focuses on the design and building of electric vehicles. The club helped build the dune buggy.

“The class did the actual hands on building, but the Electric Vehicle Club specified the motor and the drive and procured the batteries,” said Jim Dow, a Southeast student.

The frame of an old buggy was stripped and the Southeast students and club members refurbished it into an electric dune buggy.

“We were able to build the majority of it in just one semester. It was already gutted for us, but basically designed every single part,” said student Anthony Wilson.

Both Jim and Anthony were students enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing Systems class.

Electric vehicles are not very common on the road and dune buggy’s are an even rarer sight. The electric dune buggy makes almost no noise compared to a standard vehicle because its electric motor is very, very quiet. Students say a dune buggy’s openness makes it is more aerodynamic than a regular car.