Dept of Energy and GM Announce CHALLENGE X

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Department of Energy and General Motors Announce CHALLENGE X Competition

Publication date: 11-May-2004
Sourceepartment of Energy

University Students to Re-engineer Crossover Vehicles to Lower Fuel Use and Emissions

WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM) today announced the participants of an exciting new competition to challenge engineering students across North America to explore advanced technologies that will reduce the environmental impact of vehicles while maintaining utility and performance.

"The Department of Energy is pleased to co-sponsor CHALLENGE X competition,” said Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham. “This competition will give engineering students from seventeen North American universities hands-on experience in redesigning a Chevrolet Equinox to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions while maintaining the vehicle’s safety and performance.”

CHALLENGE X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility is a three-year competition that will acquaint students with leading-edge automotive propulsion, fuels, materials and emissions-control technologies. Using an approach modeled after GM’s Global Vehicle Development Process, teams will gain valuable experience in real-world engineering practices which may lead to challenging careers in the automotive industry.

Seventeen North American universities were selected through a competitive process to participate in CHALLENGE X: Michigan Technological University; Mississippi State University; Ohio State University; Pennsylvania State University; Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; San Diego State University; Texas Tech University; University of Akron; University of California, Davis; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Dearborn; University of Tennessee; University of Texas at Austin; University of Tulsa; University of Waterloo (Canada); University of Wisconsin-Madison; Virginia Tech; and West Virginia University.

DOE, through its Argonne National Laboratory facility, will provide competition management, staffing, team evaluation, and technical and logistical support. GM will supply each team with a compact SUV Chevrolet Equinox, $10,000 in seed money, technical mentoring, and additional production parts. Other major funding, mentoring, and product donations will be provided by National Instruments, The Math Works and Natural Resources Canada. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation will provide expertise in emissions measurement, CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, and safety. Other sponsors include the National Science Foundation, Delphi, Dana Corporation, Ballard Power Systems, the Renewable Fuels Associations, the Governors Ethanol Coalition and Ricardo.

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