Read the Spring 2025 Hotchkiss Magazine

By Darryl Gangloff

The Class of 2017 Engineering, Fabrication, and Exploration (EFX) Lab is “home” to Henry Shattuck ’25. It’s the place where he found inspiration to build an electric car from the ground up—not for a grade, but simply because he thought to himself, “I wonder if I could?” His hard work reached its apex in April when he proudly raced his creation around the track at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville.

Henry’s journey began during a long winter weekend of his lower-mid year. “I was driving in the car with my parents and wondered how hard it could be to make something like that?” Inspired by a previous student’s proposed senior project, Henry opened a CAD program and started sketching. Back on campus, he found immediate support in the EFX Lab, which was led at the time by former faculty member Mike Boone. “He taught me how to weld,” Henry explains, pointing to the foundation of his car. “You can see the welds here are not the prettiest on this back square. I learned over time.”

His passion project became a methodical, piece-by-piece endeavor. “I started with mounting the seat and built outwards from there,” he said. He spent a summer working with the Cooper Union Formula SAE team, a pivotal experience that led him to upgrade his initial motor plans. “They really pushed me to keep going with this project,” he said.

The EFX Lab, under the current direction of Bill Fenton P’26,’26, who is also director of the observatory and an instructor in physics and astronomy, provided tools and mentorship. “This has been my home at Hotchkiss,” Henry emphasized. “It’s a fantastically supportive space.”

Fenton echoes this sentiment. “It’s a dream as a teacher to have students working on things that they really care about.” He marvels at Henry’s tenacity, noting, “Henry vaulted over every barrier I could think of.”

Throughout, Henry encountered some challenges. “The brakes I broke, I rebuilt, I broke, I rebuilt.” Yet each struggle became a learning opportunity. “That has been the name of the game for this whole project. Lots of learning, coming up with ideas, and testing them.”

The culmination of Henry’s two-year project was taking his electric car to Lime Rock Park. “Lime Rock was really the first time I’ve gotten to fully open it up and see what it could do.” He reached a top speed of 36.6 miles per hour on the track, and he boosted it to 43.5 miles per hour after more tests. For Fenton, witnessing this moment was equally rewarding. “I don’t know who was happier, me or him,” he said, adding that the Lime Rock staff members were also “elated to see it.”

Beyond the thrill of the track, Henry’s experience in the EFX Lab has ignited a passion for teaching and sharing his love for STEM. He’s been involved in Hotchkiss clubs like the Maker’s Club and Astronomy Club, and he even took his self-designed STEM lessons to his hometown of Litchfield, CT, to share with local children. Looking ahead, Henry plans to study mechanical engineering in college, with a potential focus on aerospace.

Fenton says that Henry’s project exemplifies the mission of the EFX Lab. “Ultimately, this lab serves as a resource for the things that students really want to do and are excited about.”

The front of Henry’s electric car is emblazoned with a large “25” for the Class of 2025. It’s a symbol that his home at Hotchkiss will stay with him long past graduation.