Three Maui Students Win EV Charging Stations Art Contest

JUMPSmartMaui DC Fast Charger art contest winners Yasha Ronquillo, Tiffany Orite and Jun Cai display their winning designs to Mayor Alan Arakawa. Photo: Linn Nishikawa

By Maui Now Staff

Hitachi and Maui Economic Development Board just announced the winners of their contest challenging local students to create original artwork to enliven local electric vehicle charging stations.

The JUMPSmartMaui DC Fast Chargers Art Contest winners included Yasha Ronquillo of Maui High School, who was awarded first place; Tiffany Orite of Seabury Hall, who received second; and Jun Cai from Seabury Hall, who received third. They received Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center gift cards for $500, $250, and $100, respectively.

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges, including Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, Mayor Alan Arakawa, and Sharon Suzuki of Maui Electric Company. The criteria called for an original design that combined the themes of community, environment, and clean energy to beautify select EV charging stations on Maui.

“The inspiration for my design was how electric vehicles are helping to protect the things that Hawai‘i is famous for—taro, our state fish, turtles—by keeping our islands clean and green,” said first-place winner Ronquillo.

A total of 117 creative entries were received throughout Maui County from students in grades K through 12. The winning artworks will adorn three EV charging stations located at Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel, Pi‘ilani Village Shopping Center, and Kulamalu-Pukalani.

The EV charging stations are a key component in the JUMPSmartMaui project aiming to bring renewable energy technology solutions to Maui County. According to the JUMPSmartMaui website, Hawai‘i is the most oil-dependent state in the nation, relying on imported fossil fuels for 90 percent of energy needs, and paying the highest prices for electricity and gasoline in the country.

For more information about the Maui initiative to develop clean energy solutions, visit www.facebook.com/Jumpsmartmaui.