Re-Engineering the X Factor

Mechanical Engineering, Jul 2004 by Ehrenman, Gayle

The U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors have selected 17 teams that will participate in Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility competition. The three-year competition calls for university teams from the United States and Canada to re-engineer a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, a compact sport utility vehicle. The teams have three basic goals: to reduce energy consumption, decrease emissions, and maintain the performance and utility features of the stock vehicle.

The students will follow GM's Global Vehicle Design Process. Year one will emphasize vehicle simulation, powertrain testing, and engineering trade-offs that occur in the early stages of vehicle design. In years two and three, students will integrate the powertrain and subsystems into the vehicle.

The universities selected to participate are Michigan Technological University, Mississippi State University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, San Diego State University, Texas Tech University, University of Akron, University of California-Davis, University of Michigan, University of Tennessee, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, University of Texas-Austin, University of Tulsa, University of Waterloo, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University.

The Challenge X program was established by the Department of Energy and GM and is being managed by Argonne National Laboratory.

GAYLE EHRENMAN