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Drivers and support teams for the American Le Mans Racing Series visited Madison, Wisconsin on August 18 to promote “green racing” and show their support for the University of Wisconsin EcoCAR team’s research in alternative fuels and technologies that enhance fuel economy.
Several of the American Le Mans race cars and the UW EcoCAR were displayed at the State Capitol, where the team helped inform hundreds of event attendees about emerging hybrid technology and how to minimize tailpipe emissions and fuel consumption without sacrificing performance.
The UW Hybrid Team’s converted SUV appears at the Wisconsin State Capital to promote green vehicle technology as part of the American Le Mans Series promotion
Following the joint promotion at the State Capitol, the University of Wisconsin Hybrid Team traveled to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 22 to see the American Le Mans Series cars in action.
Several classes of race cars swept through the road course at over 150mph, showing that alternative fuels are effective in even the most challenging of automotive applications.
Paul Drayson and co-driver Jonny Cocker of Drayson Racing won the Michelin Green X Challenge and the overall American Le Mans Series race at Road America, driving the E85-fueled Lola-Judd to secure Drayson Racing’s first ever overall triumph.
Drayson’s victory was also the first overall race win for cellulosic E85 ethanol fuel in the 116-race history of the American Le Mans Series, demonstrating the progress being made in alternative fuel performance.
In the GT category, Falken Porsche was the winner of the Michelin Green X Challenge. The victory means that in the first seven races of 2010, five different teams and six different cars have won GT awards, with 10 out of the overall 12 competitors using E85.
UW Hybrid Team members Matt Michalak, Andrea Sotirin and Adam Richards attend the American Le Mans Series race at Road America
Congratulations to all the American Le Mans Series winners. The University of Wisconsin EcoCAR team was proud to be part of this year’s important event and looks forward to future collaborations!
This week, NPR ran a story about Paris’ plan to launch an electric vehicle-sharing system across the city. The initiative is scheduled to roll out in September of next year and will be considered the world’s largest electric car access program. Paris already has a successful bike rental system, known as Velib, so the city is hoping that the car sharing system, Autolib, will be a big hit.
What do you think of Paris’ Autolib plan? Do you think it will take off? Would you participate in a similar program if it was in the U.S.?
Here in the U.S., we are already making great progress in the electric vehicle arena with a strong focus on electric charging stations. Autoblog Green just reported that by October 2011, the ChargePoint America program is expected to complete the installation of 4,600 free public and home charging stations funded by a $15-million grant from the government. The chargers will allover the country including Austin, TX, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, FL, Sacramento, CA, San Francisco, Redmond, WA, and Washington D.C.
Are the chargers heading your way? Be on the look-out for the latest in electric vehicle innovation! We’re excited!
This summer, more than 25 interns are spreading awareness of alternatives fuels and clean energy throughout the nation. Clean Cities, an EcoCAR Gold Sponsor, launched the Clean Cities Summer Internship program to assist local coalitions in the planning and implementation of events, research of alternative fuel usage, database analysis, and social media and media relations tasks.
Marcy Rood Werpy, Principal Transportation Environmental Analyst at Argonne National Laboratory and a former manager of Clean Cities, believes coalitions need new and creative ways to reach fleet managers and general consumers about these important issues.
“With the nation focused on a clean energy revolution, Clean Cities is at a pinnacle with significant opportunities to accelerate the market towards electric drive technologies, biofuels, natural gas and propane vehicles,” she said. “Local coalitions need resources or people power to get projects started, find additional fleet customers, and educate consumers about new vehicle technologies. Interns provide smart, energetic resources to coalitions needing to move ahead quickly.”
Clean Cities looked to Argonne National Laboratory to help oversee and execute the summer internship program. Dana Bubonovich, former Outreach Coordinator for Penn State, was brought on board to help oversee internship responsibilities for all 25 coalitions and act as a liaison between Argonne, the interns, and the coalition coordinators.
“Argonne is here to help the coalitions succeed in spreading awareness of clean energy,” said Bubonovich. “The interns are very bright and have already helped the coalitions tremendously. The coalitions are really impressed with what the interns can achieve.”
Another EcoCAR student is interning at the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC) this summer.
EcoCAR team leader for the Embry-Riddle EcoEagles, Vincent Sabatini, accepted an internship with the GLICCC to assist in their mission of expanding the use of alternatives fuels, improving air quality, facilitating energy independence, and encouraging economic growth. The GLICC was officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy in October 1996, and is currently managing and funding CNG fleets and fueling stations through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Vince Sabatini talks to students about alternative fuels and clean energy
Vincent played a significant role in Embry-Riddle’s outreach activities throughout the last two years of EcoCAR. He was often the team’s spokesperson at offsite events and helped give tours of the lab for visitors. His dedication to his EcoCAR team and outreach activities impressed the coalition’s coordinator and landed him the internship with the GLICCC.
Vincent is currently working on updating the contact information for coalition stakeholders, public officials, media contacts, and fleet managers, as well as updating the coalition’s website. He is also developing a press packet for events such as station groundbreakings or grand openings, as well as the annual Advancing The Choice (ATC) Conference, which will be held on October 22, 2010.
“I really enjoy working with Clean Cities,” said Vincent. “It’s nice because I can take the outreach skills I learned at Embry-Riddle, mix it with my engineering background, and apply it to my internship. The internship really taught me to expand my horizons and I’ve become more well-rounded because of it.”
Here at EcoCAR we are challenged to develop practices to measure emissions and fuel economy and now it’s happening at a national level. It was just announced that mechanical engineers at Agronne National Laboratory received approval of SAE J1711, a revised recommended practice for figuring out the fuel economy and exhaust emissions test procedures of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). The approval is a major accomplishment that will encourage and support the nation’s move to electrified vehicles for petroleum savings. The new revisions are also the basis for the way that we measure fuel consumption in EcoCAR.
Mike Duoba, a principal mechanical engineer for Argonne, has led the SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) task force in the effort to revise the test procedures to better evaluate PHEV technologies.
Mike Duoba tests a car at Argonne's Advanced Powertrain Research Facility
Even more exciting, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a new regulation later this year that will define PHEV fuel economy reporting protocol and much of the new EPA regulation is likely to be based on SAE J1711. Now that SAE J1711 has been approved, Duoba and his colleagues are focused on supporting the development of testing standards for all-electric vehicles, known as SAE J1634.
Pretty cool! What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the challenges and benefits of having these standards in place.
Interested in making a difference this summer? Intern with Clean Cities and make a difference in your community by helping the nation reduce its dependence on petroleum, lower carbon and local air pollutant emissions, and build a green economy!
Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program that strives to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector in nearly 90 communities across the country.
The 2010 Clean Cities internship will give up to 25 undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate students studying communications, public relations, business, marketing, engineering or environmental sciences, the opportunity to build public awareness of advanced vehicle technologies, alternative fuels, and practices that reduce the consumption of petroleum. In addition, all EcoCAR team members are eligible for this internship opportunity.
Specific Details:
- Up to 25 internships available at one of the 90 U.S. Clean Cities Coalition locations working with dynamic Clean Cities coordinators and their stakeholders
- Positions are full-time from June 1 – August 16, 2010
- All interns will receive a $7,000 stipend
- The Clean Cities internship could lead to a permanent position!
To submit your resume and complete the online application, please click here. The deadline to apply is March 26, 2010
Questions? Email: CleanCitiesIntern@anl.gov
Penn State EcoCAR team members with Pittsburgh's Pirate Parrot
The Penn State EcoCAR team attended the fourth annual SpikesFest on Valentine’s Day, with a goal of raising awareness in their local community about the EcoCAR Challenge. SpikesFest, a family-friendly indoor baseball festival, is put on each year by the State College Spikes minor league baseball team. More than 1,500 State College residents attended the festival, and were given the opportunity to hang out with the mascots from both the State College Spikes and Pittsburgh Pirates. In addition, they were able to speak with members of green student organizations and participate in fun activities, such as creating their own baseball cards.
SpikesFest was also a great event to promote the LiveGreen influencer campaign that was initiated by outreach coordinator Dana Bubonovich. “SpikesFest was the perfect opportunity to expand our education outreach efforts to the community,” said Bubonovich.
At the festival, Penn State EcoCAR outreach members handed out pamphlets about their team, as well as LiveGreen bracelets, EcoCAR balloons, coloring pages and word searches for the children. The team was also able to gain support and hang out with local sports mascots. The Nittany Lion, Ike the Spike, and Pittsburgh Pirate Parrot stopped by the EcoCAR booth to show support Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team as well as the LiveGreen campaign.
Although most of the crowd consisted of children, many parents and adults were interested to know that college students are taking an active role in developing “greener” vehicle technologies.
Jaclyn Stratten, an outreach team member, was impressed with the amount of adults who were interested and knowledgeable about the EcoCAR Challenge. “While the kids were picking up coloring pages, the parents would ask our engineers in-depth questions about specific features in the vehicle,” said Stratten. “It was great to see the parents engaging as much as the kids.”
Many adults offered suggestions about what they would like to see in a hybrid SUV. One mother with three children asked if the Penn State EcoCAR could include a third row of seating, while another father wished for 50mpg in the E-REV. The event reflected people’s concerns about the environment and their tremendous interest in hybrid vehicles. Many of their suggestions were relevant to all Americans and could be used in future hybrid vehicles.
Overall, the event was a success for the Penn State EcoCAR team. They were able to raise awareness about their program, along with other green initiatives, while having fun and engaging with their local community.
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- Penn State EcoCAR team members with Pittsburgh’s Pirate Parrot
Cindy Svestka on the cover of Woman Engineer Magazine
Cindy Svestka isn’t just a female engineer. She’s a shining example for men and women everywhere who want to have an impact on advanced vehicle technology.
Cindy started off like a lot of students, not really knowing how she was going to make her mark and what career she wanted to pursue. However, she did have an eagerness to learn and an interest in cars and helping others and wanted to make a difference. After joining the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) program as a student, she and everyone around her quickly learned that automotive technology was not only an interest, but a passion that she immersed herself in with intense commitment and dedication. As a team leader in the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge, Cindy stood out among the others because of her exceptional leadership and teamwork skills, her meticulous attention to detail, and her passion for the project. Now, after more than ten years in the AVTC program, Cindy has translated those skills into a successful career and serves as an example to thousands of current and future engineering students of how hard work and commitment can take you far.
After graduating from Utah State university in 1998, Cindy took a job at Argonne National Laboratory as the technical coordinator on the AVTC program where she he helped organize and manage the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge and FutureTruck competitions.
After two years at Argonne, Cindy joined the General Motors team. Cindy spent her first four years at GM in the fuel system group and eventually took on the role of lead design engineer on the launch of the ethanol (E85) flex-fuel systems for the full-size pick-up and SUV applications. In 2004, Cindy took over responsibility for the energy and drive quality performance of the Chevrolet HHR. After successfully launching the Chevrolet HHR program, Cindy joined GM’s hybrid vehicle group and worked on meeting fuel economy and vehicle performance targets for the 2009 Saturn VUE Two-Mode Hybrid program.
Cindy graduated with a Master of Science degree in engineering from Purdue University in 2006. In August 2007, she took the role of executive technical assistant and business process manager for GM’s Powertrain/Vehicle Integration group.
During her time at GM, Cindy has remained active in supporting the AVTC program, supporting the 2001 FutureTruck competition and serving as the GM technical lead for Challenge X in 2005 and 2006. She continues to support the AVTC program as a member of the steering committee for EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge.
Chevy Volt on display at 2010 Detroit Auto Show
Last week at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, General Motors’ Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz, announced that GM would make a 100% battery-electric version of the Chevy Volt by removing the gas engine and expanding the battery pack.
It is uncertain when it will happen, but exciting news nonetheless! It will be interesting to find out the vehicle’s electric range and estimated price.
What are your thoughts on GM’s idea of making a full-function electric vehicle?
Another big story that ties back to the EcoCAR program is Fisker Automotive choosing EcoCAR competition sponsor, A123Systems, as the battery supplier to power Fisker’s upcoming plug-in hybrid luxury vehicle, the Fisker Karma!
A123Systems was up against some hefty competition including, Advanced Lithium Power and Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel, so this was a big win for the company.
Production of the Karma is scheduled to begin this year, so keep your eye out for the cool car below!
The Fisker Karma
TreeHugger reports that by the end of 2010, you could see an electric version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom on the road. The mother of all luxury vehicles is now “going green!”
If the car goes on sale, it will likely be in small numbers, but the roll-out will certainly help increase consumers’ interest in electric vehicle technology.
What kind of cars would you like to see “go green?”
Rolls-Royce Phantom
Gasoline and diesel powered vehicles come with a choice of engines, giving drivers the opportunity to pick a model based on driving needs. Electric cars, on the other hand, never came with options – until now.
A recent TreeHugger post reports that Tesla is offering battery options for its upcoming Model S electric sedan and Nissan might offer different battery options with its LEAF electric car. Exciting news!
The 2010 Nissan Leaf
A senior Nissan planner told TheDetroitBureau.com that offering an array of different battery packs “would allow a motorist to choose between a lower-range, lower-cost pack, or batteries delivering perhaps twice the mileage, at a higher price.”
Say goodbye to the “one-size-fits-all” electric vehicle!
Think this news is interesting, check out the unique architectures the 17 EcoCAR teams are working on right now at www.ecocarchallenge.org.
Inside the Green Garage 
