Rangiora New Life School pupils are powering up for next month's Evolocity Challenge.
The school is building four electric-powered vehicles to compete in the Canterbury regional competition on November 2.
It plans to send at least one to the national event in Hamilton later in the month.
Technology teacher Graham Lamb says the school is entering four vehicles across four classes.
He says his pupils also have an old vehicle built by Rangiora High School students four years ago, which was bought off TradeMe for practising on and to gain inspiration.
Mr Lamb says Evolocity was started in Canterbury in 2014 with backing from the University of Canterbury. It has since spread to other regions.
''It opens up students to possible futures in engineering and teaches them about sustainability. Electric vehicles are the future.''
The average person who drives 12,000km to 15,000km a year will burn more than 40,000 litres of petrol - the equivalent to one petrol tanker load - over their lifetime.
He believes more than half of the 13 pupils involved in the project will go on to study engineering at university, while others will go into trades, computer work, and one intends to pursue a medical degree.
''They are all on their second or third time round and this competition allows them to rebuild vehicles, so they can strip vehicles back and make them better, more efficient and faster.''
Vehicles are tested on race performance, innovation, appearance, design and presentation.
Races include head to head drag racing and deceleration, fastest time around a circuit, an economy run, a gymkhana and a controller event.
The pupils will run a car wash fundraiser on the vacant car lot on the corner of Blackett and Good Streets on the next two Saturdays from 10am to 4pm, with their vehicles on display.
