Student teams have taken delivery of brand new Chevrolet Silverados as part of the 1999 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Challenge involves students from 14 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada who work to design, build and optimize the vehicles to operate on E85, with a goal of reduced emissions, improved fuel economy and improved cold start.
The Challenge uses the 1999 four wheel drive Chevrolet Silverado pickup with a 5.3 liter, Generation III V-8 engine. "The Ethanol Challenge is a good way to simultaneously test a wide range of automotive technologies, all designed to optimize the performance of a dedicated ethanol vehicle," said Dan Reicher, the U.S. Department of Energy's Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
The teams will meet for seven days of rigorous testing from May 19-25, 1999 at General Motors Corporation's Milford Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan. Participating colleges and universities include: Cedarville College (Ohio), Crowder College (Missouri), Idaho State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Kettering University (Michigan), University of Minnesota - Mankato, University of California - Riverside, University of Illinois - Chicago, University of Kansas, University of Nebraska, University of Texas - Austin, University of Texas - El Paso, University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), and Wayne State University (Michigan).
In addition to the Coalition, this year's sponsors include General Motors, the State of Nebraska, Natural Resources Canada, Renewable Fuels Association, Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Council of Great Lakes Governors, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Canadian Renewable Fuels Association and Williams Energy Services.
Last year's competition involved the conversion of the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu sedan to E85, and the results were impressive. Eight of the 12 vehicles had fuel efficiencies better than the stock Malibu. Vehicles also achieved the same range on one tank of ethanol as the stock Malibu achieves on a tank of gasoline, despite ethanol's lower energy content. Eight of the vehicles met federal Tier I emissions standards, and several overcame cold start problems associated with E85.
