UVic's EcoCar Is Ready To Roll

The University of Victoria’s fuel-efficient, low-emission car of the future and the students who built it are heading to Arizona in May to compete in the year two EcoCAR Challenge finals, which will be held May 17-27 at the GM Desert Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona and at locations in San Diego, California.

The 20-member UVic EcoCAR team is comprised of electrical, mechanical, computer and software engineering students as well as business and humanities students. Its Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) runs on electric power and E85 fuel. Last year, the team placed second overall in the EcoCAR Challenge, with top-place honours in technical reports, computer modelling, electrical systems and media relations.

“This talented team of students draws on the expertise and talent from across the university community and highlights our commitment to the environment as well as our capacity for engineering innovation,” says UVic President Dr. David Turpin.

The three-year international competition challenges 16 universities (13 US and three Canadian) to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by designing, developing and implementing a vehicle propulsion system that minimizes fuel consumption and emissions and encourages energy diversity, while still maintaining utility, safety and performance. It is funded, in part, by the Ministry of Transport and the Natural Resources Canada.

“The Government of Canada is pleased to support this initiative,” says the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State for Sport and Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands. “The impact of designing and using more efficient vehicles with a variety of cleaner fuels will make an enormous difference to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

During the competition, EcoCAR vehicles will undergo engineering tests similar to those conducted by the automotive industry to determine a prototype’s readiness for production. Team vehicles will be judged by a variety of tests including a Safety and Technical Inspection, Dynamic Consumer Acceptability, Highway Stability, Braking, Acceleration, Autocross, and Emissions and Energy Consumption.

“After countless hours in the shop and many gruelling long nights, our E-REV is almost ready to roll,” says UVic EcoCAR Team Leader Jeremy Wise. “To make our vehicle competition ready we had to install a completely new powertrain, high voltage electrical system, and UVic-programmed computer controllers. Now our vehicle can operate for up to 65 kilometres using only the electric motor powered by the lithium ion battery pack, before the engine is used to extend the range. Out of all the other teams’ designs, our vehicle is expected to be the fastest at the competition, and achieve significant reductions in fuel use, greenhouse gas and toxic tailpipe emissions.”

The other Canadian teams taking part in the challenge are from the University of Waterloo and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. For more information visit www.ecocar.uvic.ca. More photos available www.flickr.com/photos/uvic/

 

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