After securing first place in the collegiate division of the EVGrandPrix championship last year, Purdue Polytechnic Anderson returned to the track in 2025 with a pair of new teams, a young crew of student drivers, and a commitment to growing electric vehicle (EV) racing statewide.
The Anderson location fielded two go-karts this year, placing sixth and tenth overall among 22 collegiate teams. Worth noting is that Anderson’s teams also scored second and fifth in the efficiency ratings of their respective vehicles. Together, they earned more than 100 combined championship points in the competitive electric karting event hosted at Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus.
Curt Grams, lab manager and faculty mentor for Anderson’s EV karting program, said the team approached the event as an opportunity to learn, refine, and share knowledge—especially with many of last year’s championship-winning team members having graduated.
“This year is a year of transition as we’ve had a turnover of our team due to graduations and life situations,” said Grams. “Our goal has not been to focus on defending a title, but to get better in the program and to make changes to our karts where we can improve on items that we have not been able to in the past.”
Organized annually, the EVGrandPrix is a national collegiate and high school electric go-kart racing event. Student teams design, tune and race electric vehicles in a head-to-head competition on Purdue’s Grand Prix track. In addition to the racing element, teams are scored on energy efficiency and engineering documentation such as a design report. The competition challenges students to apply real-world STEM and engineering skills, and it forms part of Purdue’s MSTEM³ initiative.
This year’s collegiate championship took place April 18. High school teams are scheduled to race May 1 following a series of test-and-tune practice events in April.
Grams says he’s proud of how the Anderson teams performed, particularly as they worked through changes and looked toward long-term goals.
“Working with other teams throughout the year helps everyone become more competitive and increases the positive experience of EV go-kart racing,” Grams said. “Our ultimate goal is to increase the number of classes in area tracks where EV can be expanded so that other clubs can participate and race to gain experience throughout the summer and fall.”
Learn more at engineering.purdue.edu/evGrandPrix.