EVolocity
EVolocity is a New Zealand non-profit that runs a nationwide electric vehicle design-and-build competition for Year 7-13 secondary school students, providing motor kits, curriculum, mentorship, and regional finals events across six regions, funded primarily through corporate sponsorships and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew Zealand, New Zealand, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EVolocity does
EVolocity is a New Zealand-based non-profit educational organization operating a nationwide electric vehicle design-and-build competition for secondary school students (Year 7-13). At the start of each school year, participating teams receive standardized electric motor kits, curriculum guidelines, and mentorship; students then design, engineer, and build electric karts or bikes throughout the year, culminating in regional finals at kart racing venues across Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Wellington/Manawatū, Nelson/Marlborough, and Canterbury. Regional finals feature drag races, gymkhana, endurance, and efficiency competitions, with special guest appearances from motorsport personalities including Emma Gilmour and Hayden Paddon. The organization's underlying technology stack is straightforward — Arduino microcontrollers, CAD software, standard electric motor kits, and an in-house Energy Monitor/ECU — with NCEA Achievement Standards alignment enabling students to earn school credits. Supplementary curriculum includes workshops on Arduino programming and CAD, build tutorials, a Student Engineering Handbook, and scoring rubrics; a newer Solar Innovators Programme (launched March 2026 under the Young Wāhine in STEM strategy) extends the curriculum into solar-powered RC vehicles targeting young women ages 11-22, delivered through University of Canterbury engineering facilities. Over 7,000 students have participated since inception, with alumni now working in aerospace, engineering, healthcare, and trades.
The business model is non-commercial and sponsorship-funded: EVolocity operates as a registered non-profit with no revenue disclosed, no product pricing, and no per-school fees. Operating capacity is anchored by founding sponsor Orion NZ (Canterbury regional partner) and gold partner Bridgestone, with additional financial and in-kind support from a multi-tier sponsor ecosystem including Ara Ake, Evnex, Freemasons Foundation, Waipa Networks, Inspiring Futures Foundation, JW Group, Christchurch Airport, University of Canterbury, University of Auckland, and MITO. Distribution is delivered through direct school partnerships coordinated by regional facilitators; there is no API, no platform component, and no commercial software offering. The organization was founded by Rob McEwen, has been operating since at least 2017, and is led by Chief Executive Jason Maraku (appointed July 2025). It has no parent company, no disclosed funding rounds, and no institutional or venture capital ownership.
EVolocity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EVolocity
- Legal name
- EVolocity
- Website
- https://evolocity.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- EVolocity is a New Zealand non-profit that runs a nationwide electric vehicle design-and-build competition for Year 7-13 secondary school students, providing motor kits, curriculum, mentorship, and regional finals events across six regions, funded primarily through corporate sponsorships and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EVolocity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEM Education Services
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums) (EDAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where EVolocity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Zealand, New Zealand
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
EVolocity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorship and Grants: EVolocity operates as a non-profit educational initiative funded primarily through corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and partner support. Major sponsors provide financial contributions, in-kind support (tyres from Bridgestone, electric bus expertise from JW Group), and facilities (University of Canterbury engineering labs). The Freemasons Foundation supports motor kit programs.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
EVolocity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EVolocity is a New Zealand nonprofit that runs a nationwide electric vehicle design-and-build competition for secondary school students (Year 7-13). Schools register teams and receive standardized electric motor kits, curriculum resources, and mentor support, with student teams designing and building electric karts or bikes that compete in regional finals featuring drag races, gymkhana, endurance, and efficiency challenges.
Product overview
EVolocity is a New Zealand-based educational program and national competition for secondary school students (Year 7-13) focused on sustainable engineering and electric vehicle technology. The core offering consists of the Electric Motor Kits and Competition Program, where students design and build electric karts or bikes throughout the school year, culminating in regional finals with drag races, gymkhana, endurance and efficiency competitions. The program is supplemented by workshops (Arduino programming, CAD), build tutorials, and the Student Engineering Handbook. A newer addition is the Solar Innovators Programme under the Young Wāhine in STEM initiative, providing targeted engineering experience for young women. NCEA integration allows students to earn school credits, and mentorship connects students with industry professionals. The program operates across multiple New Zealand regions with annual regional finals events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Young Wāhine in STEM (YWIS): Strategy under EVolocity focused on building confidence and long-term pathways in STEM for young women, including the Solar Innovators Programme.
- Solar Innovators Programme
Products and services
- EVolocity Competition Program A national electric vehicle design-and-build competition for Year 7-13 students in New Zealand, featuring regional finals with drag races, gymkhana, endurance and efficiency competitions. Schools register teams and students design and build electric karts or bikes throughout the school year.
- Electric Motor Kits (Standard Motor Kit) Standardized electric motor kits provided to participating school teams as foundational EV components, ensuring equal baseline technology while allowing creative freedom in chassis, bodywork, and systems design.
- Regional Finals Events Competitive racing events held at kart racing venues across New Zealand regions (Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Wellington/Manawatū, Nelson/Marlborough, Canterbury) where student teams compete in drag races, gymkhana, endurance, and efficiency categories.
- Solar Innovators Programme An eight-week pilot engineering experience under EVolocity's Young Wāhine in STEM (YWIS) strategy, where young women design and engineer solar-powered remote-control vehicles using 3D printing, CAD, soldering, and electronics assembly.
- Young Wāhine in STEM (YWIS) An initiative under EVolocity focused on building confidence and long-term STEM pathways for young women, including the Women in STEM Podcast, EVolocity Wāhine activities, Women of Inspiration events, and mentorship.
- Industry Mentorship Program A volunteer mentor network connecting industry professionals and motorsport figures (e.g., Emma Gilmour, Hayden Paddon) with student teams to provide guidance on engineering, design, and career pathways throughout the vehicle build process.
Quantifiable outcome
- 7,000+ students have completed the programme, with alumni now working in aerospace, engineering, healthcare, and trades
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use EVolocity
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
EVolocity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
EVolocity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- JW GroupminorSole distributor of Yutong electric buses in New Zealand, market leader in transitioning public transport to electric. Partnership supports EV education with expertise in clean technology.
- University of CanterburycorePartner for Solar Innovators Programme delivery, providing Faculty of Engineering facilities, academic expertise, and mentorship. Engineering Professor Neville Watson leads MBIE-funded $13m grid research project. UC's Rainbow Engineering and Women in Engineering societies support YWIS initiatives.
- University of AucklandcoreProvides Proteus software licenses for vehicle telemetry and data display learning. Formula SAE team shares engineering pathway similarities with EVolocity. Eva Hakansson from UoA recommends 3D printing prizes for Make Your Marque competition.
- MITOminorMITO ambassadors (Emma Gilmour, Hayden Paddon) participate in EVolocity regional finals as special guests, sharing motorsport journey and encouraging rangatahi to explore STEM pathways.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
EVolocity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Greenpower Education Trust: UK-based charity running the Greenpower Challenge, where student teams design, build and race electric kit cars in regional and national finals. Operates an almost identical community-and-event-driven STEM competition model to EVolocity, including standard kit provision and corporate sponsorship funding.
- VEX Robotics: Operates one of the largest student robotics competition platforms globally, with team kits, school integration, and worldwide tournaments. Mirrors EVolocity's model of standardized equipment kits, school teams, mentor networks and corporate sponsorship.
- FIRST (FIRST Robotics Competition & FIRST Inspires): Global student STEM organization running team-based design, build and competition programs (robotics and tech challenges). Comparable to EVolocity in operating large-scale, sponsor-funded STEM competitions that pair student teams with mentors and culminate in high-visibility finals events.
- Destination Imagination: Global nonprofit running team-based STEM, engineering and creative problem-solving challenges for students, with affiliate structure and tournament finals. Overlaps with EVolocity's team-competition-and-finals structure and nonprofit sponsorship funding model.
- World Robot Olympiad (WRO): International robotics competition for school-age students spanning multiple categories with national and world finals. Comparable in serving school-based teams through kit-based engineering competitions and in operating a country-affiliate model across many regions.
- Science Olympiad: US-based nonprofit organizing nationwide STEM academic team competitions across science and engineering disciplines for K-12 students. Comparable as a curriculum-aligned, competition-format STEM education organization reliant on teacher integration and volunteer networks.
- F1 in Schools: Global student competition in which teams use CAD/CAM and engineering processes to design and race miniature F1 cars, culminating in national and world finals. Closely comparable to EVolocity in its design-build-race competition format, school-based teams, sponsor ecosystem and finals events.
Emerging players
- CoderDojo: Global volunteer-led movement of free community coding clubs for young people, supported by corporate sponsors. Shares with EVolocity the volunteer-mentor, community-club, sponsor-funded model of delivering hands-on STEM experiences to school-age participants.
- Technovation: Global nonprofit running team-based STEM and entrepreneurship programs (including AI) for girls and young women. Comparable niche overlap with EVolocity's Young Wāhine in STEM and Solar Innovators Programme in addressing gender underrepresentation in STEM.
Broad incumbents
- EngineeringUK: UK-based organization running the Big Bang Fair and broader STEM education initiatives to inspire young people into engineering. Wider in scope than EVolocity, but operates in the same school-based STEM inspiration and showcase-events category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EVolocity social profiles
Digital presenceEVolocity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EVolocity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
EVolocity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EVolocity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EVolocity
What does EVolocity do?
EVolocity is a New Zealand nonprofit that runs a nationwide electric vehicle design-and-build competition for secondary school students (Year 7-13). Schools register teams and receive standardized electric motor kits, curriculum resources, and mentor support, with student teams designing and building electric karts or bikes that compete in regional finals featuring drag races, gymkhana, endurance, and efficiency challenges.
Is EVolocity a public or private company?
EVolocity is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was EVolocity founded?
EVolocity was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is EVolocity based?
EVolocity is headquartered in New Zealand, New Zealand, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does EVolocity make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship and Grants.
Who are EVolocity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Greenpower Education Trust, VEX Robotics, FIRST (FIRST Robotics Competition & FIRST Inspires), Destination Imagination, World Robot Olympiad (WRO), Science Olympiad and F1 in Schools. Emerging players are CoderDojo and Technovation. EngineeringUK is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does EVolocity have an API?
No public API is recorded for EVolocity.
What industry is EVolocity in?
EVolocity's product category is STEM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAGAL, Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums). Its NAICS code is 61169.