Project Zephyr
An incredible learning experience for teachers and students alike.
Building an electric car through a STEAM experience
Project Zephyr has all the benefits of the scratch-build with the efficiency of a kit-build. It can truly change the way a student learns and prepares for life after school.
- Project Zephyr
Takes students aged 12+ on a discovery journey where they can delve deep into STEAM while learning about business, law, marketing, teamwork, leadership and ultimately, about themselves.
- It Consists of Two Parts:
The practical, where they work on their prototypes, and the social, where students and staff discuss their discoveries, progress, and how the journey has impacted them personally so far.
- Get Started Quickly:
Project Zephyr can be done anywhere as long as staff can ensure students’ safety when using basic tools. Project Zephyr comes with all the hardware and necessary teaching materials to run out of the box. We want Institutions to spend less time setting up so that they may begin extracting value as quickly as possible.
We believe that Project Zephyr can truly change the way a student learns and prepares for life after school.
Fueling collaboration and innovation
* 2h/week – estimate given is upper bound, can be <1y
**Speed can be limited electronically
***Depends on transmission configurations.
Infinite learning diversity
To create a memorable learning experience, we said from the beginning, “this cannot be a kit car”, because it restricted the students’ options, narrowed their thinking depth and deprived them of problem-solving opportunities.
However, we wanted the project to work despite limited abilities and technical equipment. Thus, we combined the kit concept with the scratch build concept, took the best from both worlds, and added some magic.
Project Zephyr comes with no extra costs, complicated additional tools or specialised staff. Everything you need comes with the project, and you get an incredible teaching experience and an insanely fun result with each group that embarks on it.
Environmentally friendly and budget-conscious
Project Zephyr was built to be over 70% reusable, so after being disassembled, more than half of its parts can be reused by the next group of students. Over 65% of Project Zephyr can be reused as-is for 5+ years*.
As a result, Project Zephyr becomes incredibly cost-effective, and the low yearly running costs allow you to get a quick ROI. Moreover, of the less than 35% which cannot be reused, over 90% is recyclable or biodegradable**.
Due to its reusability and quick ROI (~3 years), Project Zephyr has minimal impact on your budget over time.
*reusability is subject to the end-users application of the product.
**recyclability depends on the recycling facilities in your local area.
If, for example, you decide to educate your students on the mechanics of car crashes to teach vehicle safety by smashing your vehicle (with a dummy driver) into brick walls at top speed, less will be re-useable.
What's in the box?
Teaching materials
- • staff training,
- • step-by-step how-to
- • video guides and more.
Raw materials
- • Pipes,
- • bars,
- • sheet metal etc.
Basic components
- • Brakes,
- • Wheels,
- • Steering wheel etc.
Assembly equipment
- • Nuts and
- • bolts etc.
Requirements for Project Zephyr
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” – Albertonymous Personstein
A room you can use as a workshop ~30sqm/car
Essential power tools: Drill, Jigsaw, Metal Saw, Router.
and tools: A rubber mallet, Hacksaws, Wrenches, Allen keys etc.
Someone who can safely supervise and teach students to use the abovementioned tools.
Training the staff
Do you need an automotive engineer to teach Project Zephyr? If you have one, that’s fantastic. However, it is not a requirement. Project Zephyr comes with a complete package of training materials.
As long as your staff can ensure the students’ safety in the workshop, we provide you with everything you need in detailed videos so that you can learn the A-Z on Project Zephyr. The videos can also be selectively shown to students, should you wish.
"It was a fun and challenging experience ."
"100% definitely, this is how I discovered that I want to do Engineering at University - what you learn here can be applied in many places"
"I would definitely recommend it. Its a great way of discovering yourself, discovering your abilities - overall I think its a great experience that might be useful for your future career."
"We got to see the northern lights - it was aaabsolutely extraordinary"
See what students have to say about Project Zephyr
Beyond STEAM: Project Zephyr's Purpose
We designed Project Zephyr to be more than just a STEAM course. We also wanted to build something that students can use to discover what they want to do in their careers. We have built the Project Zephyhr curriculum with our custom-designed mapping algorithm to teach students how to introspect while also learning transferable skills voluntarily.
Introspection is fundamental to self-understanding. The better you know yourself, the better you can establish what you enjoy, thus increasing your chances of finding out what you want to do after school, leading to a more satisfying and rewarding life and career.
A school’s job amongst many is to guide and encourage students to discover their passions. The earlier this occurs, the better for the students as they can pick the courses they need to help them realise their passion.
That is why we strived to make Project Zephyr accessible as early as possible.
A true multidisciplinarity endeavour
Whether at university or in secondary school, you can use the project as a fun kit activity, teaching students teamwork, communication and practical skills using essential tools. Using high-tech equipment, you can also customise your plan to teach advanced concepts in-depth such as lithium battery management systems. Here are the subjects that students can learn through Project Zephyr*.
*They range from year 7 to year 13 and beyond into higher education.
Mathematics
Physics
You can stick to F = ma or go all the way to structural mechanics.
Chemistry
From lithium battery chemistry to material microstructures, the study of elements and compounds is crucial for a better future
Art and Design
Marketing
A great idea is useless if nobody knows about it.
Management and Leadership
Alone you have 24/7, together you have much more. STEAM needs management and leadership to thrive
Manufacturing
Learn how to manipulate simple materials and take that all the way to the production line
Conquering Mountains
Climbing a mountain is a series of smaller steps.
How do we implement Project Zephyr
- 1. We get to know you and your needs
Project Zephyr fits a wide variety of schools. We designed it to be sustainable and cost-effective over its lifetime, allowing for a quick ROI of ~3 years.
We tailor Project Zephyr it to your needs, wants and facilities. We have a couple of basic starting configurations you can pick from which can be tailored further should you wish.
- 2. Pick the configuration that fits best
Engineering Only: We ship you only what you need to make the car chassis without a body.
Design Only: We ship you a nearly ready-to-drive stock chassis for you to focus your time on teaching design.
No Battery: You receive everything except for the batteries and charger. This option can significantly reduce your costs and is designed for institutions which already have batteries and chargers from other projects that can be repurposed.
- 3. Implementation
Due to high demand we generally allow ~four months for everything to be ready to be shipped, however, it can sometimes take longer.
Once you receive Project Zephyr, we will help you set up your workshop and the methodology by which you can deliver Project Zephyr within your institution.
We also include two weeks of remote staff training and one year of support. We offer in-person training purchased separately on request.
One of the many shapes Project Zephyr can take
Check out one of the cars built by a group of students aged 15-18.
View in AR on iOS 12 or newer or play around in 3D.
Scale to 900% for real size.