Electrathon raceElectrathon race
Electric race cars zip past a course worker on April 27, 2024, during an Electrathon race at Florida State College at Jacksonville. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today

Electrathon racers will zip around FSCJ on Saturday

Published on January 9, 2025 at 11:23 am
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Electrathon racing will return to Florida State College at Jacksonville on Saturday. Student-built electric race cars tackle a road course at the school’s Jacksonville-Cecil Center on POW-MIA Memorial Parkway.

FSCJ’s Automotive Technology Department partners with Electrathon of Tampa Bay to run the race. The first heat will be at 10 a.m. and the second at 1 p.m. 

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The race is one of a number held annually across the state, with teams from multiple high schools and colleges. The Electrathon series will return April 5 to FSCJ’s Downtown campus.

The racing series started in 1980 as a fun way to educate students about electric cars through hands-on design, fabrication and competition. The 160-pound race cars can hit 60 mph, powered by two lead-acid or lithium-Ion batteries.

Robert Wechsler, professor in the Automotive Technology Department at Florida State College at Jacksonville, pushes a racer into the pits during last year’s Electrathon of Florida series race after its rear wheel broke. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today

The multi-turn Cecil Center course is 2,600 feet long and uses the school’s truck driver training facility. Spectators are welcome.

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Competitor registration is $40, and they can recharge their race cars on 110-volt power available in the pit area. Food trucks will be there for spectators.

Florida Power & Light Co. is now supporting the race series, supplying Florida high schools with start-up vehicles and support.

For more information and the state race schedule, go to electrathonofflorida.org.


author image Reporter email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with 40 years as a radio, television and print reporter in the Jacksonville area, as well as years of broadcast work in the Northeast. After a stint managing a hotel comedy club, Dan began a 34-year career as police and current events reporter at The Florida Times-Union before joining the staff of WJCT News 89.9.

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