First steps towards greener cars: Allie and Chloe

This article originally appeared on Medium

Nearly a third of all carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from automobiles alone. What’s more, cars and other motor vehicles are responsible for over half of the earth’s carbon monoxide pollution, a highly toxic greenhouse gas.

As Allie and Chloe reached the driving age, they asked: “If we can’t afford an electric vehicle, can we build one?” Hoping to drive collective change, the 16-year-olds started The Electric Monkeys to help anyone convert their cars’ engines to electric. Today they’re building teams of teams through an educational curriculum, designed to help others follow in their footsteps and drive more sustainably.

Ashoka Young Changemaker Manat Kaur connected with Allie and Chloe to learn more about how they hope to scale the organization and their practical, plan-based approach.

Ashoka insight

One of the fundamental lessons we’ve learned through the process is the need to make sure a project is viable. It’s a concept that comes into play when you start working out the details for how to implement an idea and maximize its impact. It is also the basis for building trust and credibility.

The practical implementation needs to be guided by having a strategy, careful planning, seeking advice and expert opinion, evaluating costs, and other preparation activities to increase your chances of success.