DOE and Ford Host FutureTruck 2004 Competition

DOE and Ford Host FutureTruck 2004 Competition

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Ford Motor Company hosted seven student-designed, energy efficient sport utility vehicles (SUVs) last month as part of FutureTruck 2004, an engineering competition. The student teams reengineered Ford Explorers to achieve lower-emissions and at least 25 percent higher fuel economy, without sacrificing the performance, utility and safety that consumers want.

The Department of Energy and Ford Motor Company jointly sponsor FutureTruck 2004, which challenges 15 teams of university engineering students to build cleaner, more efficient SUVs. All 15 teams developed hybrid electric vehicles; two teams adapted an internal combustion engine to run on hydrogen for their trucks.

The competition will conclude in June at Ford's Michigan Proving Ground. Approximately $40,000 and more than a dozen awards will be presented at the ceremony. The 15 SUVs will first undergo a comprehensive safety evaluation followed by dynamic testing and static design events. The teams and their vehicles will be judged in more than a dozen events that evaluate their acceleration, trailer towing, off-road handling, on-road fuel economy, consumer acceptability, engineering design and oral technical presentation. Over 100 universities expressed interest in the competition, and 15 were selected through a proposal process.