Copyright 2000 Phoenix Newspapers, Inc.
THE ARIZONA
REPUBLIC
June 15, 2000 Thursday, Final
SECTION: VALLEY & STATE; Pg. B5
LENGTH: 483 words
HEADLINE:
STUDENTS TEST METTLE ON SUV REDESIGN
BYLINE: By Mary Jo
Pitzl, The Arizona Republic
BODY:
Imagine a
sport-utility vehicle that even an environmentalist could love.
That's
the goal of a weeklong competition that concludes today at the General Motors
Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa.
Student teams from 15 universities in
the "Future Truck" competition each took a Chevrolet Suburban and worked it over
to make it run cleaner without losing any of the muscle, roominess or amenities
that have made U.S. consumers flock to SUVs.
"The goal was not to make a
Geo Metro out of a Suburban," said Yann Guezennec, one of the faculty advisers
to the Ohio State University team.
Instead, the joint industry and
government event is aimed right at the tailpipes of the gas guzzlers that have
eluded federal fuel-efficiency standards and drawn the ire of
clean-air advocates.
"I think it's real important to focus on SUVs,"
said Shelley Launey, director of the Clean Cities Program of the U.S. Department
of Energy. "More than half the vehicle sales in the U.S. are SUVs, and they are
more . . . gas thirsty. It's a good platform to work on."
GM in December
shipped a $40,000 Suburban to each of the 15 universities chosen to participate
in the program.
Since then, the teams have worked to produce a greener,
but no less meaner, SUV.
They've had mixed results.
Guezennec's
students, for example, had problems with their retooled Suburban's towing
capacity.
But the University of Wisconsin team drew oohs and aahs for
rebuilding its Suburban's frame entirely of aluminum. As a result, it was the
only SUV in the competition that weighed less than its gasoline-only
counterpart.
Texas Tech University students used aluminum for a lot of
engine parts, as well as the fuel tank and oil pan.
"These are heavy
vehicles," said Aaron Rogahn, a mechanical-engineering major. "And weight has a
lot to do with fuel efficiency."
A key goal is to cut greenhouse-gas
emissions of carbon dioxide and methane by two-thirds and boost the fuel
efficiency of the Suburban.
But almost as important is keeping the
Suburban, well, a Suburban.
Rogahn said the Texas Tech team left well
enough alone and didn't alter the leather-upholstered interior.
"We
really designed the interior for the soccer mom: Just get in and go," he said.
Other teams added flourishes, like DVD players, a 15-inch monitor that
displays everything from transmission information to video games, and cameras
instead of side and rearview mirrors. The minicameras reduce aerodynamic drag
and eliminate blind spots.
Students said they're convinced they're
working on the auto technology of the near future, which contest organizers said
should give them a competitive edge in the job market.
"The beauty of
this car is we're developing the power train for the fuel cell," said Zeki
Gokce, a George Washington University student majoring in transportation safety
engineering.
"This is the Formula One of the electric vehicle."
GRAPHIC: Photos (2) by Mark Henle/The Arizona
Republic; 1) Pennsylvania State University's Gary Neal completes last-minute
work on his team's entry. The goal: A vehicle that runs cleaner but keeps its
muscle, roominess and amenities. 2) Judges score Cornell University's entry in
the "Future Truck" competition on Wednesday. Students from 15 universities tried
to improve Chevrolet Suburban's gas guzzling.
LOAD-DATE: June 16, 2000 
