Contact: Robbie Ward
Mississippi State's Challenge X team that won first place in a national competition to redesign a fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly SUV will be honored Friday [June 15] during a reception at the university's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.
CAVS is located north of campus in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park.
To begin at 2:30 p.m., the program will involve some 15 team members who will discuss their experiences reengineering a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox crossover sports utility vehicle. Last week, they placed first overall and took top honors in 10 individual categories during the nine-day competition in Milford, Mich.
In addition to team honors, two of the students have accepted jobs with General Motors, while another one recently was hired by Motortron System Inc., a research and development company that produces equipment associated with "brushless motor systems."
Mississippi State was one of 18 universities selected to compete in the competition organized by GM and the U.S. Energy Department's Argonne National Laboratory. More than a dozen categories designed to test the vehicles included acceleration, off-road performance, greenhouse gas impact, fuel economy, emissions, and consumer acceptability.
The MSU team designed a "through-the-road parallel hybrid electric" vehicle with a 1.9 liter GM direct injection turbo diesel engine fueled by B20 biodiesel. It also used advanced propulsion technologies that increased fuel efficiencies and reduced environmental impact.
NOTE: While the reengineered vehicle continues to be tested by GM in Michigan, the team's trophies will be on display.
For more information about the program, contact Amanda McAlpin at 662-312-8672 or amcalpin@cavs.msstate.edu.