Women to get EV training at UWI

Women interested in electric vehicles (EVs) are being encouraged to ditch the fear and embrace the future, as a new training initiative promises to give them real power.

Professor Taneisha Stephenson says the upcoming programme at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, is designed to help women feel confident, informed and in control when it comes to EV ownership and maintenance.

"We want to signal to women who have an interest in EVs, who own EVs, that yes, we can be comfortable with the technology, we can know about the technology," Stephenson said.

Her comments follows the recent testing of an electric vehicle that was assembled at the newly opened E-Mobility Lab at The UWI. Now, the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Department of Physics is gearing up to teach women the nuts and bolts of caring for their own vehicles.

The course, which will be delivered online, is expected to break down common myths surrounding electric vehicles while equipping women with practical knowledge on safety, upkeep and how EVs actually work.

With electric cars becoming more visible on Jamaican roads, Stephenson believes the timing is right to ensure women are not left behind in the transition to cleaner transportation.

"We can know what we can do for ourselves and when we need to call in the professionals. So we are working on that so we can have the gender balance and the gender dimensions," she said.

The just-completed EV project, impressive as it was, revealed a striking gender gap. The entire build team was male, with the only woman involved being a lecturer.

The E-Mobility Lab came to life thanks to a partnership between the JPS Foundation and UWI's Department of Physics, which provided the lab with cutting-edge equipment, curriculum materials, and specialised software to support teaching, training, and research opportunities for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The chassis and components for the vehicle were imported, and a group of UWI students and professionals from diverse fields did the assembly. The finished unit made a memorable debut when it was driven out of the lab and onto the famed Ring Road during the official opening on January 22.