You’d be right if you said the atmosphere was electric in the Highland High School gymnasium in Albuquerque on Saturday as aspiring automotive engineers from close to 30 middle schools from across the state competed in the New Mexico Electric Car Challenge. Some 46 teams took part in a race, design competition and oral presentation as part of the event intended to “present science and math concepts to students in a fun and exciting way,” organizers said. Teams received a lithium-ion battery and direct-current motor to power the vehicles, as well as a car kit containing a chassis, wheels and gears. The students experimented with different body styles and materials to improve the performance of their cars on a 10-meter track, an event news release read. The Car Challenge is presented by Sandia and Los Alamos labs, PNM, APS, Intel, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Northrop Grumman.