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Students from WSU’s electrical engineering department at Buffalo City Campus were left stunned as a model from one of the world’s premier electronic car manufacturers “danced” its way into their hearts.
The approximately 20 eager electrical engineering students visited the East London Health Resource Centre on Thursday 11 November to bear witness to just some of the great feats the Tesla Model X electric car is capable of achieving.
“The event was incredibly insightful and relevant as most of the themes dealt with during the day had to do with what the students have and are currently studying in the lecture room. It’s incredibly important then that we provide more opportunities for students to practically engage with industry professionals about themes and concepts that they learn in the lecture rooms,” said Engineering Head of Department, Adjei-Frimpong.
Adjei-Frimpong, who in conjunction with the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) helped make the visit a success, said he was certain that the day’s festivities would help re-energize students and make them broaden their perspective about the field of electrical engineering.
He said universities need to broaden and expand their programme qualification mix to include programmes like mechatronics and chemical engineering which will be highly sought after once e-mobility becomes the standard.
Adjei-Frimpong added that chemical engineers would be vital with regards to battery chemistry whereas electric engineers will be critical in selecting the best motors for the vehicles.
“A third discipline, known as mechatronics engineering, which encompasses cross-sectional expertise in chemical engineering, electronics, embedded software and electrical engineering will be highly sought after in the near future,” he said.
Screeches of excitement and yelps of dismay from students characterized the day’s festivities especially during the car’s demonstration during which the car, through computerized manipulation, mirrored a bird flapping its wings and doors opened on their own.
“I’m absolutely speechless, yet excited and humbled to have witnessed such a fantastic piece of technology. What has happened here will live forever in my memory as I surely will never forget it. It’s actually inspired me to think about exactly what it is I want to do within the electrical engineering field,” said final-year student Sihle Dlulana.
Most impressive to Dlulana was the car’s virtually zero noise emission, as well as its incredible safety features, which have it ranking as one of the safest cars in the world.
Over and above the demonstration, students were also addressed by Rubicon’s energy and e-mobility director Greg Blandford, who in his address cited the country’s enormous corporate tax, import duties, tariffs and poor electricity supply as some of the biggest hindrances to auto-electric companies like Tesla investing in the country.
Rubicon is an industrial automation solutions supplier to the manufacturing sector and related system integrators in the country and imports and distributes the latest premium technology from around the world to provide a complete industrial technology basket.
“In spite all of that, there are positives such as the advent of renewable energy and energy storage and the way that these technologies are starting to converge with one another presents great opportunity for the future. The positive feedback from the students around the Tesla Model X has also been an encouraging sign that there indeed is great interest in e-mobility and technology, especially amongst the young people,” said Blandford.
The Model X is built from the ground up as an electric vehicle, with a high-strength architecture and floor-mounted battery pack which makes it incredibly safe for its occupants and has a very low chance of rolling over. Every Model X includes Tesla’s latest active safety features, such as Automatic Emergency Braking. The front doors open and close automatically, whilst the Falcon Wing doors allow for easier loading and a standard trailer hitch lets one bring their gear wherever they go.
By Thando Cezula
