Get a behind-the-scenes look at the EcoCAR Challenge by watching another installment of the Yuma Confessionals!
Below is a video discussing a sticky situation the Penn State team faced.
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A young guy stomps the accelerator and speeds off in a vehicle. But this isn’t a college kid drag racing his car in a parking lot. This is serious business. Abram Harder from the North Carolina State team is putting his EcoCAR vehicle to the test for the judges. They are timing how fast he can accelerate from 0-60 and from 50 to 75.
Powerful and fast acceleration is not only fun, it’s an important aspect of a vehicle that is being sold to the public. And of course, EcoCAR vehicles are no different. The acceleration event is an important part of determining how well these vehicles have been built, and how appealing they would be to a future consumer.
While the team is still waiting on the final results, the preliminary data seems to indicate that the North Carolina team was able to accelerate from 0 to 60 in just over 10 seconds, pretty impressive for a roomy SUV that weighs approximately 5,000 pounds. Now that the first teams have been through the event, students from other teams gather around the scoreboard, where the acceleration times for each team have been posted. They joke with each other about how their vehicle will easily do much better than NC State’s. But their laughter is a little nervous; it’s easy to boast before your vehicle is out on the track. Time will tell, as many more teams begin to enter the acceleration event today.
NC State was one of the first teams to participate in the acceleration event.
Tags: Acceleration, EcoCAR, North Carolina State
Thursday and Friday were bustling with media at the General Motors Desert Proving Ground (DPG) in Yuma, Arizona! On Thursday, a few of the most influential green and automotive journalists arrived from as far away as New York and hung out with the teams to get a first-hand look inside the EcoCARs. If the vehicles weren’t exciting enough, it’s also the first time national members of the media have been invited to DPG. The list of media in Yuma included:
- Danny King, Edmunds
- Dave Scrivner, Motorweek TV
- Jerry James Stone, Treehugger
- Jim Motavalli, Mother Nature Network and New York Times
- Liane Yvkoff, CNET Car Tech
Members of the national media learning more about EcoCAR
On Friday, the teams were delighted to host members of the local Yuma media. Journalists were invited to meet the teams, observe the testing sessions, tour the pits and get under the hood of the different vehicles. There’s naturally a strong community connection between DPGY and Yuma and the students couldn’t be more excited to have their support!
A number of great local media outlets came to DPGY on Friday
Thanks to everyone for coming out to the DPGY!