Long before electric cars became a common sight on the road, Western was leading the charge—and continues to do so today through advancements in battery development, manufacturing and the training of future EV experts.
In 1972, Western engineering researchers and students teamed up with Thunderbird Motors, electric motor pioneer David Joseph, Fanshawe College and local high school students to convert a Datsun pickup into an electric vehicle powered by 10 lead-cobalt batteries. The car could reach speeds of 64 km/h and travel 48 kilometres on a single charge.
That summer, the car won the electric vehicle category at General Motors’ proving grounds in Detroit, competing against more than 50 teams from across North America.
In this photo, Keith Zerebecki, BESc’72, MEng’73, then a fourth-year engineering student, is behind the wheel of that very car. He continued working on the project in his master’s studies and went on to hold senior roles at General Motors Defense and General Dynamics Land Systems. A recipient of Western’s Lauch-land Engineering Alumni Medal in 2005, Zerebecki also served on the university’s board of governors from 2006 to 2013.
