Josh Petty always liked tinkering with machines when he was younger. He’d work on his mom’s broken lawn mower until it was finally running smoothly.

Now he has a bigger project.

Petty, a senior from Olathe, is team leader of the KU EcoHawks’ GMC Jimmy project. The group is working to convert the car into a fully-electric vehicle. Petty said the group hopes to have the project completed by the end of spring.

But for now, the conversion is a work in progress.

The 1997 GMC Jimmy, a small sport utility vehicle, sits propped up on car jacks in the KU EcoHawks’ garage on West Campus. It’s a definite change of scene from the police impound lot where the Jimmy sat for two years before being donated to the EcoHawks.

The car looks a bit dilapidated right now — no tires, a battered back fender and a missing front end. The EcoHawks removed the Jimmy’s engine last week.

Wires and tubes are exposed that some people will never see in their entire lives. Blue painting tape marks the wires and tubes — the gas pedal line here, air bag wires there.

Instead of a gas engine, the Jimmy will be powered by a main electric motor and two auxiliary motors, Petty said. The motors will run using more than 1,000 rechargeable batteries. The batteries — similar to those that cordless drills use — are about the size of AA batteries.

Just as each system in the car’s engine has to work in unison, Petty said the group members have to work together as well. The 12 students working on the project have a different area of focus.

Jon Kalinowski, a senior from Wichita, is focused on power steering. He said he enjoys the freedom and hands-on learning that the project provides.

“I love the fact that we aren’t just doing theory,” he said. “We’re not just sitting in a lab. We’re not just on the Internet or reading books.”

The students have to research, theorize and then put their work into practice.

“It’s that hands-on learning that makes them the best engineers,” said Chris Depcik, EcoHawks adviser and assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

After the car is finished, KU Libraries will use the car to deliver on-campus mail. The campus mail route includes main and West Campus buildings in addition to continuing education buildings on Kasold Drive. On a typical day, the KU Libraries mail vehicle travels about 22 miles.

Petty said the electric vehicle would be able to travel 80 to 90 miles before a recharge.

Lars Leon, associate librarian for KU Libraries, said the libraries encourage sustainability. The electric vehicle is another step in that direction.

“It will almost be a billboard for the idea of sustainability,” Lars said.

There shouldn’t be any worry that the Jimmy won’t be noticed. Petty said the EcoHawks hope to paint the frame lime green and the body white.

— Edited by Lisa Curran