SPOKANE, Wash. — The Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) Automotive Technology Program used a $150,000 grant to purchase a Tesla Model 3. 

According to CCS, Spokane Community College Automotive Technology Instructor Paul Petretee and Dean of Technical Education Ashley Purdin set out to apply for grant funding two years ago. They intended to buy an electric vehicle so that students could gain new experiences in the program. 

The program received $150,000 from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Workforce Development Fund Grant, which allowed it to purchase the Tesla Model 3.

The vehicle was bought through Consulab, a company specializing in manufacturing and distributing high-quality training equipment to help teach people about evolving technology.

“This is a presentation trainer vehicle created by Consulab,” Petretee said. “They created the vehicle and the curriculum of the vehicle, and I’ll create the curriculum for the class. It’s a cut out, open view with parts identification, lights to show current flows, water flow, what’s on and off and more.”

The Tesla and its curriculum will lead the program to offer students an Electric Vehicle Certificate. The curriculum will recognize student’s ability to diagnose and perform maintenance on electric vehicles.

“A lot of what’s taught will be safety related and covering the basics — battery life, battery efficiency, mileage,” Petretee said. “The Tesla’s 400-600 voltage system won’t be in the trainer because it’s dangerous to learn on such high voltage, but students will learn introduction material for electric vehicles. I see it as a course that teaches students what to look for when working with EV’s.”

Petretee said the school anticipates being ready for the first group of up to 12 students by 2025.

The program has applied for a separate grant to purchase personal protective equipment, testing meters and other materials.

To learn more, visit the program website.