Spectrum - Volume 17 Issue 36 July 13, 1995 - Engineering students recognized

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Engineering students recognized

By Liz Crumbley

Spectrum Volume 17 Issue 36 - July 13, 1995

A team of students from the Virginia Tech mechanical engineering and electrical engineering departments havebeen judged best in safety and sportsmanship in the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Challenge, held in Detroit in June.

The Tech students modified a Dodge Neon, donated by the Chrysler Corp., into an ultra-low emissions electric car for the challenge, which is sponsored by Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), Natural Resources Canada, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. The team's advisers are Doug Nelson, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Jaime De La Ree, an associate professor of electrical engineering.

The Tech "car factory" students also have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Consortium for Automotive Research to participate in the 1995 FutureCar Challenge. The goal of this challenge, which is sponsored by government and the automotive industry, is to develop technology for the mass production of energy-efficient, low-emissions vehicles.

In announcing the selection, the DOE cited the "technical capability" and "organizational strength" of the Tech team, which is among 12 groups of students nationwide participating in the challenge. The Chevrolet Corp. will give the students a Lumina to modify for the FutureCar Challenge.