For its first-place finish last week in the 2010 EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge competition, the Mississippi State student team will take its winning vehicle on a victory lap through campus Tuesday [June 8] afternoon. (For the route, visit http://www.bagley.msstate.edu/ecocar/.)
At the conclusion of the drive, university President Mark E. Keenum and other campus leaders will officially extend congratulations to team leader Matthew Doude and the other engineering majors during a 3:30 p.m. program at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. The park is located adjacent to campus, across state Highway 182.
Team members and those present will conclude the celebration with servings of MSU's famous ice cream.
The university placed first among 16 institutions represented at the San Diego finals in year two of the three-year competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors and the Canadian government, among others. The competition challenges North American engineering majors to "re-engineer" a GM-donated vehicle to minimize fuel consumption and emissions, while maintaining its utility, safety and performance.
The home team designed a plug-in hybrid vehicle with an electric range of 60 miles. During testing in California, the vehicle achieved a 118 miles-per-gallon equivalent of combined city and highway mileage.
Overall, MSU accumulated 20 trophies, including first place in each of the three fuel economy events, as well as first in three of four major presentation competitions.
