Mechanical Engineering Team Prepares for Challenge X

April 16, 2008

The University of Texas at Austin's Mechanical Engineering Department was selected as one of seventeen intercollegiate teams to design and produce a hybrid SUV for a GM sponsored competition named Challenge X. Each team was provided with an identical Chevrolet Equinox™ featuring a six cylinder gasoline engine. The teams then rebuild and remake the car to their own design specifications. The four-year competition is coming to a close this May with a weeklong road rally from Times Square in New York City to Washington, D.C.

The students were presented with the auto industry's most pressing engineering issues — designing and producing a clean burning, fuel-efficient SUV while still maintaining the performance and utility consumers demand from their vehicles. The competition has given engineering schools an opportunity to participate in hands on research and development with leading edge automotive propulsion, fuels, materials, and emissions control technologies.

Vehicle Specifications:

The team has adopted a design strategy built on simplicity. Weighing in as the lightest vehicle in the third year of the competition, the UT Equinox sips fuel through its 1.9L Fiat diesel and six-speed manual transmission. The hybrid system employs a 36 Volt Belt Alternator Starter system from the Saturn Vue Green Line™, enabling the engine to turn off at stoplights and provide acceleration assistance. To treat the diesel emissions, the UT team has implemented a diesel particulate filter and Lean NOx Trap. The central controller is a 128 pin MotoTron MotoHawk® ECU, which controls the engine and hybrid system. The hybrid also features creature comforts such as virtual gauges, fully electric HVAC, GPS Navigation, and MP3 player connectivity.

Team Description:

The Challenge X team is a close-knit crew of nine engineering student members. Dino Sasaridis, Chris Ohlsen and Nicole Munguia have been working on hybrid controls for over a year. Jon Bodenhamer and Jude Osara are responsible for diesel after treatment. Enrique Villarreal and Keith Kruelskie are in charge of packaging and refinement. Mario Pulido is the team leader on virtual gauges and FMEA, while Abby Holaschutz helps with marketing.

Find out more:

Challenge X ME web site
UT Society of Automotive Engineers
Challenge X Competition Site