AFTER five years in development, an ecocar built by students at Bicester Community College could be heading into the record books.

The teacher behind the project said he hoped the vehicle – which is powered by solar, wind and pedal power – could travel from Land’s End to John O’ Groats for charity as soon as this summer.

And it would be the first vehicle to make the 1,000-mile journey using all three energy sources.

David Henwood, who teaches design and technology and is also an Oxford city councillor for Cowley, started work on the car with pupils about five years ago and it is now finally nearing completion.

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About 200 pupils have been involved in the project down the years.

Mr Henwood said: “Originally we started to look at how to make a solar cell and we took bikes apart and started to rebuild them.

“The students have been very much leading the project because they are very familiar with the technology in bikes and taking them apart then putting them back together.

“I would like to think we could do the Land’s End to John O’ Groats journey this summer but it may well be next summer after we do the testing.

“The journey is about 1,000 miles and we would aim to do 100 miles a day.

Students would cycle the Oxford leg. I would do the other legs because we are not able to accurately predict where we will be able to stay in the evenings.

“This will be the first solar, wind and pedal-powered car to do this journey.”

The front wheels of the vehicle, which the group has dubbed a car, are adapted from a BMX bik The back wheel is powered by the solar motor or by wind power using the sail.

That means the car will always be at least half-powered by solar or wind power, with the driver providing the rest by pedalling.

Year Eight pupil Tom Couzens, 13, who is currently working on the car, said: “This car is the first sort of thing like this that I have done.

“It is a great thought when I think that it will be off around the country.

“It has been great to see it go from a few bits of metal to being finished.

“I like it when we learn lots of new skills.”

Some of the students involved in the project have worked to attract sponsors.

They will be choosing a charity partner closer to the time of the trek.

They will then help raise money for that charity by getting people to sponsor the car on its journey.

Mr Henwood said: “The pupils working on the technology side of things learned things like welding skills, cutting and forming metal and so on. They have learned a lot about renewable energy, recycling and marketing.”