Switch Vehicles

09/02/2026

What if one capstone project could reinforce skills connected to multiple national certifications?

The Switch Lab EV gives students hands-on experience across electrical systems, diagnostics, high-voltage safety, chassis systems, precision measurement, troubleshooting, and professional workplace skills.

Those competencies strongly align with credential areas from:

• ASE
• NC3 & Snap-on
• OSHA
• SAE
• EVPRO+

Instead of learning certification concepts only in theory, students apply them while building, configuring, troubleshooting, and operating a complete electric vehicle.

The result is a capstone experience that can support multiple career pathways, including automotive, transportation, engineering, manufacturing, energy, and EV technology.

Real-world experience. Recognized skills. More pathways forward.

08/27/2026

Austin Community College is getting ready to bring hands-on EV education to more students.

ACC recently invested in two complete Switch Lab EV pathways and hosted a five-day Train-the-Trainer workshop for seven college instructors. Over the course of the week, faculty worked through the same build process their students will experience, including EV systems, electrical theory, wiring, safety, troubleshooting, programming, and full vehicle assembly.

By the end of the training, both Switch Lab EVs met the same build standards, giving instructors a clear understanding of how to integrate the platforms into their respective programs.

As one participating instructor shared:

“Faculty now have a clear understanding of how to use the Switch EV Lab when teaching their respective students.”

This is exactly what Train-the-Trainer is designed to accomplish: give educators the technical knowledge, hands-on experience, and confidence to take the program back into the classroom. The Switch Lab pathway combines instructor training with reusable classroom labs, curriculum, and a full EV capstone project.

Thank you to the faculty and team at Austin Community College for an excellent week of training. We look forward to seeing these two pathways in action with ACC students.
Austin Community College District

08/25/2026

A great way to distribute STEM learning labs across multiple schools! This program features our Relay Lab, providing students with an introduction to electricity.

The kits include projects that will teach students how to build and fix electronics in automotive systems.

08/24/2026

Before students work with high-voltage EV systems, they need to understand how they're controlled.

The Electric Systems Lab helps educators teach that relationship in a controlled classroom environment.

Students can build, wire, test, and troubleshoot an EV drivetrain while learning how the lower-voltage control system works alongside the higher-voltage propulsion system.

Along the way, students practice concepts that matter in professional EV environments, including:

• Reading electrical schematics
• Identifying low- and high-voltage circuits
• Proper wiring and termination
• Battery and motor fundamentals
• BMS and controller configuration
• Troubleshooting electrical systems
• High-voltage safety procedures and PPE

It is a practical way to move students from electrical fundamentals toward more advanced EV systems knowledge while reinforcing safety throughout the process.

Full Details in the Comments Below!

08/20/2026

Big News: Sonoma Clean Power and CTE Foundation are expanding free clean energy education across Sonoma and Mendocino counties! 🔌

Our partnership with Sonoma Clean Power started back in 2017 with the first Switch EV grant, and it keeps growing. We're opening a free STEM Kit Lending Library to middle and high school teachers throughout the region - no specialized training required, no big budget needed.

📅 First checkout period opens August 24. Kits are picked up at SCP's Customer Center in downtown Santa Rosa.

Read the full announcement here: https://mailchi.mp/ctesonomacounty/stemkitaccess2026

Learn More: https://ctesonomacounty.org/investments/stemkits/

08/17/2026

08/17/2026

Five days. One incredible summer experience. A look at the future of transportation.

High school students at the ASPIRE Summer EV Academy at Utah State University got the chance to experience advanced technology in a way few students their age ever do.

Inside ASPIRE’s Electric Vehicle and Roadway facility, students explored electrified transportation, charging technology, energy systems, engineering research, and emerging career pathways.

They also put their skills to work by building and testing a Switch Lab EV.

From working alongside university researchers to seeing next-generation transportation technology up close, this camp gave students the opportunity to learn, build, ask questions, and experience what a future in engineering could look like.

Programs like this can turn curiosity into direction.

Congratulations to ASPIRE and Utah State University for creating such a high-impact opportunity for the next generation.

Full story in the comments!
Credit: KSL 5 TV
Aspire Research Center Utah State University College of Engineering

08/13/2026

Come see us in Lexington, KY for ACTE Region II!

We’re looking forward to our second year attending the regional conference and another opportunity to connect with the educators building the next generation of CTE and technical education programs.

This year, we’ll also be showcasing the Electric Systems Lab, a classroom project that gives students the opportunity to build, connect, test, and troubleshoot an electric drivetrain system.

If you’re attending ACTE Region II, come see the lab and talk with our team about what EV and electrical education can look like in the classroom. We hope to see you there!

Association for Career and Technical Education

08/10/2026

A week of firsts at WSU Tech.

WSU Tech recently hosted its first Switch Lab EV instructor workshop, bringing educators together for five days of electric vehicle training, building, troubleshooting, and collaboration.

The workshop also marked an important milestone for longtime Switch Lab educator Chuck Kauffman, who led his first EV instructor training after years of building WSU Tech’s alternative fuels and electric vehicle education program.

This training was particularly meaningful because the group included a Deaf educator, reinforcing something we value deeply: technical education should create opportunities for educators and students with different backgrounds, experiences, and communication needs to participate in applied learning.

Congratulations to Chuck, WSU Tech, and the entire group of educators who completed the week. We are looking forward to seeing what they bring back to their classrooms.

07/27/2026

“They should do this more often with schools. It’s really educational. We could use this information in the apocalypse.” - 8th Grade Student

That may be one of our favorite student reviews yet. 😂

Program Spotlight: Technology Middle School
Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District

This past spring, Teacher Courtney Johnson integrated the Relay Lab kit into her design lab classes. She wanted to give students a practical, hands-on way to explore electrical theory and circuits while practicing proper tool usage. This project challenges students to build a simulated 12v dashboard using a wiring schematic.

Our foundational classroom labs help educators introduce STEM concepts through projects students can build, test, and understand.

Great work, Courtney!
📸 Photo Credits: Courtney Johnson