Honoring and Congratulating the Electric Vehicle Team of West Philadelphia High School for taking First Place in the 18th Annual Tour de Sol Alternative Fuel Vehicle Competition.

WHEREAS, The Tour de Sol, sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, is a competition of national and international high school and college students to develop the best alternative fuel vehicle; and

WHEREAS, West Philadelphia High School fielded the competition's first team of color in 2002; and

WHEREAS, The 18th Annual Tour de Sol was held in Saratoga Springs, NY, where nearly 20 teams, including the ten-member Electric Vehicle Team of West Philadelphia High School, competed in categories of emissions, maneuverability, acceleration and hill climbing; and

WHEREAS, For the second year in a row, the eight boys and two girls of the Electric Vehicle Team at West Philadelphia High School took first place for their development of the

Hybrid Attach

, an alternative fuel vehicle that burns diesel fuel made from soy bean and gets 55 miles to the gallon; and

WHEREAS, The team secured a $1200 cash prize and became eligible for scholarships to trade schools; and

WHEREAS, This accomplishment clearly debunks any notion that inner-city youth cannot compete successfully against their suburban counter-parts in the area of science; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is extremely proud of what these students have accomplished and wants to publicly congratulate them on their achievement; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we honor and congratulate the Electric Vehicle Team of West Philadelphia High School for taking First Place in the 18th Annual Tour de Sol Alternative Fuel Vehicle Competition.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented as an expression of this body's sincere congratulations to the Electric Vehicle Team of West Philadelphia High School.

End