First, recall the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first five finishers out of 56 starters in the race were hybrid vehicles. Then think of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this year. For the first time, an electric motorcycle outpaced all other bikes and one manufacturer, Zero Motorcycles, entered six bikes, three of which broke the existing record for electric motorcycles on the mountain. Now consider an event that is not as well known in the U. S., but which shows the direction that young engineers are taking in Europe. Formula Student, a competition bringing together the work of 2,000 students from around the world, saw the first two places taken handily by electric vehicles for the first time ever. Held this year at the UK’s Silverstone Raceway, the event drew an international crowd. Switzerland’s ETH Zurich won first place with 921.3 points (of 1,000 possible), while German team UAS Zwickau took second with 851.5 points. A “petrol-powered” …