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Detroit Metro Area Teens Test Their Skills With Real Wheels, April 13

13 April 2000

Detroit Metro Area Teens Test Their Skills With Real Wheels, April 13

    CANTON, Mich., April 12 The technology of tomorrow starts
today as high school students from across the Metro area compete in the 2000
SAE Micro-Electric Vehicle Competition at U of D Jesuit High School.  These
students know that wide is good, traction is your friend, and one can never
underestimate the imperfections of the course.  The annual event sponsored by
the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and brought to teens by Yazaki North
America, Detroit Edison Foundation, Denso, and Ford Motor Company races into
action April 13, 2000 at 4:30 p.m.
    Designed to create interest in engineering and the engineering process,
the object is to design a drycell-powered vehicle capable of pulling a
weighted sled up an incline and across the finish line first.  The vehicles
are mini-cars; they must fit in a box 5 inches wide by 8 inches long by 6
inches high.  They must have working headlights, four wheels, trailer hitch,
may be two or four wheel drive and must be fashioned as passenger cars.
    The competition has two phases the design competition and the performance
competition.  During the Design competition, judges rate the vehicles on
ingenuity, powertrain design, electrical system design, aesthetics and overall
vehicle design.  Further, they must write a one-page report on their component
selections, design methodology and any unique features.  The excitement begins
during the performance competition, during which heats of up to 5 cars compete
to pull a weighted sled up an 8-foot long, 25 degree incline, make the
transition to the level portion of the track and then across the finish line 3
feet away.  Each contestant is issued one AA battery to be used during the
competition and has at least two chances to advance.
    The top three winning schools receive $1000 for first place, $750 for
second, and $500 for third.  Each winning team member receives a savings bond
as well.  This event challenges the problem solving skills of the teams and
helps them on their path to a career in the industry.
    Yazaki North America is proud to be a sponsor of this event, helping the
engineers of tomorrow get a head start today.
    Yazaki Corporation is a global leader in the development and manufacturing
of vehicle power and data solutions, and is continually researching and
developing advanced electronic technologies for vehicles.  Yazaki produces
electrical distribution systems, fiber-optics, advanced networking,
instrumentation, junction blocks, connector systems, electronics and advanced
technology.
    Worldwide, the company employs nearly 100,000 people in 31 countries,
1,400 of whom are based in the company's new North American corporate
headquarters/research center campus in Canton, Mich.