Penn State will be one of only 15 schools in the nation participating in a FutureTruck 2000 competition offered through the U.S. Department of Energy.
Aimed at promoting alternative-fuel vehicles, FutureTruck 2000 challenges student teams to convert a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) to achieve three times its current fuel economy and demonstrate exhaust emissions equal to or less than federal standards.
The FutureTruck 2000 competition will last two years with annual competitions each June at testing facilities in the Midwest or Arizona. General Motors, along with the DOE, is sponsoring the present competition and will provide Chevrolet Suburbans to each team for conversion. Ford will sponsor a second competition in subsequent years.
Converted production vehicles will compete in a series of events to assess their design, efficiency, performance and utility. Judges in the competition will be looking for significant improvements in fuel economy, along with improved exhaust emission control and conventional levels of performance and passenger comfort.
To support design and development of the SUV, the University's Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Center of Excellence is creating a lab course for undergraduate and graduate students that will span two semesters.