Top Engineering Schools Hit Double the Fuel Efficiency

11 June 1998

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 10 -- After a year of long, hard
hours, sleepless nights and nerve-wracking trial-and-error, two of the top
engineering universities in North America have done what some said was
impossible:  they've doubled the over-the-road fuel efficiency of a mid-size
American car without giving up any of the safety, comfort or performance.
    In a series of road tests conducted on the grounds of the Chrysler
Technology Center, two teams of student engineers driving hybrid vehicles,
demonstrated the equivalent of 75 miles per gallon of gasoline.  Running on
the same test course, a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle turned in a 37
mile per gallon performance.
    These fuel-stingy teams, from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and
from Lawrence Technological University in Michigan, were also among the top
finishers overall in the 1998 FutureCar Challenge.  Wisconsin tied a team from
Virginia Tech for first place while the Lawrence Tech team came in just behind
them for a third place finish.
    The FutureCar Challenge is a competitive "race" to re-engineer the
American family car of today into the super fuel-efficient car of the 21st
century.
    Major sponsors are the U.S. Department of Energy and Chrysler, Ford and
General Motors through the United States Council for Automotive Research
(USCAR).  Additional support is provided by the National Science Foundation,
the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Natural Resources Canada, the Aluminum Association, Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Company, and the American Iron & Steel Institute.

    1998 FutureCar Challenge Final Standings

    1st Place      Virginia Tech and University of Wisconsin at Madison (tie)
    3rd Place      Lawrence Technological University
    4th Place      Michigan Technological University

    1998 FutureCar Challenge Special Awards:

    Most Energy Efficient:  Ohio State University
    Best Acceleration:  Virginia Tech
    Best Dynamic Handling:  Virginia Tech
    Best Overall Engineering Design:  Virginia Tech
    Lowest Emissions:  University of Maryland
    Best Consumer Acceptability:  Virginia Tech
    Innovations in Aluminum:  University of Wisconsin at Madison