Argonne's Larsen discusses hybrid vehicles, student competitions
ARGONNE, Ill. (July 12, 2005) — Argonne's Bob Larsen, director of the
Center for Transportation Research,
talks
to WBEZ (on the WBEZ site, scroll down and click the Hybrid Vehicle Contest
link) about the laboratory's advanced car program and university student
contests. For 15 years, Argonne has been managing forward-thinking car competitions
for North American students. The U.S. Department of Energy always sponsors
the competitions with one of the big three car companies.
The current competition just entered its second year of three. Called Challenge
X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, 17 North American university teams
are competing to re-engineer a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, a compact SUV that
already provides competitive fuel economy, with three basic goals: reduce
energy consumption, decrease emissions and maintain the performance and utility
features of the stock vehicle. General Motors Corp. is DOE's co-sponsor for
the 2004-2007 competition. First
year results of Challenge X are available
online.
These competitions allow students to use their creativity to show what can
be accomplished outside of a major corporation. The auto industry is interested
in the technological advances. And, the students in the competition will be
working for the car companies designing these cars in the near future.
Argonne National Laboratory brings
the world's brightest scientists and engineers together to find exciting and
creative new solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology.
The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic
and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne
researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities,
and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific
problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for
a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed
by UChicago
Argonne, LLC for
the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
For more information, please
contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov)
at Argonne.
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