New Volt Makes an Educational Pit Stop at the High School

A very unique learning opportunity for students at Upper St. Clair High School.

The brand new Chevrolet Volt — only available for purchase in California, New York and Chicago — made a stop in the high school's parking lot on March 16.

Students from the academic physics and the IB chemistry classes got to see and study the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, courtesy of Tim Colussey, owner of Colussey Chevrolet.

The General Motors representatives discussed the design and charging of the car's battery system, the extended-range gasoline system and the advantages and disadvantages of the integrated design.

"The students were certainly excited to see the vehicle and to see how technologies that we have learned in class are applied to real-world applications," said Lynn Kistler, curriculum leader for the science department. "Many were surprised by the lack of noise of the battery-powered motor and were impressed with the touchscreen interface on the dashboard."

Ms. Kistler said she later discussed the positive and negative environmental effects of both the battery and gasoline-powered engines with her IB chemistry students.

The General Motors representatives also made an educational pit stop for the students at South Fayette High School.