University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering students will receive a GM-donated car Tuesday, Oct. 6, and will begin converting it into an extended-range parallel hybrid vehicle. The students are participating in the GM- and U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored competition called EcoCAR, which challenges 17 North American universities to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in a vehicle during the next two years.
The EcoCAR team is one of six vehicle projects at UW-Madison and is the latest in a long line of hybrid vehicle projects. Under the mentorship of mechanical engineering faculty associate Glenn Bower, the students will increase the efficiency of a hybrid SUV to operate totally on electric power for a range of more than 20 miles. When the battery pack gets low, a small engine burning E85 ethanol will kick in. The vehicle could be more efficient than current hybrids on the market because it would handle both in-city and highway speeds without using regular petroleum.
Electrical and computer engineering student Adam Richards, who is the hybrid team leader, says the experience of participating in the EcoCAR competition is valuable for students. “We’re learning how to actually design and build hybrid electric vehicles, which will be really important for those of us looking to work in the automotive industry,” Richards says. “Lectures in class are great, but I really like to be able to work on a useful project that you can actually see driving down the road.”
Media are invited to tour the team shop and see the car on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive. Contact Richards at 608-408-0664 to set up an appointment with team members, who can answer questions about the vehicle and their plans for the EcoCAR competition. For more information about the UW-Madison vehicle teams, visit http://www.vehicles.wisc.edu/.
CONTACT: Glenn Bower, 608-263-7252, grbower@facstaff.wisc.edu; Adam Richards, 608-408-0664, arichards2@wisc.edu
