MARSHALL

– Universite Laval from Quebec, Canada, achieved 2,098 miles per gallon with

its student-designed and built vehicle that met the strict SAE Supermileage competition

criteria of a single occupant, and a one-cylinder, four-cycle engine. Two other

college teams achieved more than 1,000 mpg in the 36th annual competition, held

last week at the Eaton Proving Grounds.

 

Power

management company Eaton, in conjunction with the Society of Automotive

Engineers, host the competition that this year featured 23 collegiate teams,

most of which achieved at least 200 mpg.

 

“The

students are so impressive with their ingenuity and creativity. What they

accomplish year after year with this competition is truly amazing,” said Staci

Kroon, president, Eaton Vehicle Group. “The Supermileage competition helps

these students develop practical engineering, team building and leadership

skills they can use to succeed in their careers, including making tomorrow�s cars

and trucks more fuel efficient.”

 

In

addition to the fuel economy results, teams were also rated on the design of

their vehicles, prompting an aggregate score that was used to determine the

overall winners. The Universite Laval team was

the overall winner receiving a total score of 2,453 (2,098 mpg plus its Design

Report score of 355). The team won $1,500 and will be recognized at the SAE

2015 Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress held Oct. 6-8 in Rosemont,

Illinois.

 

Brigham

Young University of Provo, Utah, was second with a total score of 1,609 (1,244

mpg and 365 for design). Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, was

third with a total score of 1,400 (1,057 for mpg and 343 for design). These

schools received $1,200 and $900, respectively.

 

Of

the three Michigan colleges and universities represented, Michigan

Technological University came in fourth overall with a total score of 1,153

(793 mpg and 360 for design). The other Michigan schools were Lawrence

Technological University (621 – 358/263) and the University of Detroit – Mercy

(513 – 380/133).

 

A

team from the University of South Alabama won the Design Report portion of the

competition with a score of 430. The Lawrence Technological University team won

the Best Newcomer Award, while Brigham Young University was chosen by the event

organizing committee for both the Best Design Execution as well as the

Endurance Award (minimum of four successful fuel economy runs). California

State University – Los Angeles received the Best Demonstrated Overall Team

Attitude award.

 

Hosted by Eaton since its

inception in 1980, the Supermileage event is designed to generate public awareness

of high-mileage fuel economy and to promote automotive engineering as a career

choice for students. Participants are encouraged to use advanced materials and

technologies, as well as their design creativity and imaginations, to get the

most out of their vehicles over the 9.6-mile course – six times around Eaton�s

1.6-mile test track.

 

The winning team at the first

Supermileage competition in 1980 achieved 558 mpg.