EcoCAR Year Two Finals

The EcoCAR team presents their car at the Year Two Finals.

Year Two of the EcoCAR Challenge has proven to be a test of wills for the 16 North American universities participating in this fierce competition.

During the last academic year, WVU's EcoCAR team spent countless hours developing a prototype advanced technology vehicle that was judged in more than a dozen technical events at this year's competition finals in May. The event took place at the GM Desert Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona, and at locations throughout San Diego, California.

The competition kicked off with a Welcome Night at the Arizona Western College. Participants showcased their talents in a concert; the WVU team sang an a capella version of Country Roads.

The first portion of the competition took place in Yuma, where EcoCAR vehicles underwent engineering tests similar to those conducted by industry to determine readiness for production. The teams' vehicles underwent a variety of tests, including a safety and technical inspection, dynamic consumer acceptability, highway stability, braking, acceleration, autocross, and emissions and energy consumption testing.

Next, the competition moved to San Diego, where teams highlighted their efforts with presentations in the following categories: mechanical, electrical, controls, outreach and other sponsored awards. In addition, the group convened for a sponsor social networking and recruiting event, where outreach awards were given out along with other special awards.

The Year Two competition finals concluded on May 27 with an awards ceremony at the House of Blues in San Diego. Awards totaling nearly $100,000 were handed out; Mississippi State University took top honors for Year Two.

"Being a part of this competition was an exciting, educational experience," said team radar Alan Kuskil.

The third and final year of the EcoCAR competition will focus on completing the vehicle and ensuring that it meets current consumer acceptability expectations.

WVU is one of 16 schools in the nation that was chosen to participate in the EcoCAR competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory.

Be sure to keep up with all the action by following the WVU team at ecocar.wvu.edu

For more information on news and events in the WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources:
Email:
Phone contacts:
College Relations office, 304-293-4257
Office of the Dean, 304-293-4157
Other College administrative and department offices:
www.cemr.wvu.edu/welcome/administration

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06/16/2010