Preparing for the A123Systems inspection proved to be taxing and some lessons were learned the hard way. The parts came together for the team’s custom cooling system, but they quickly learned how important it is to pressure test the system with air before filling it with coolant. Team leader, and now team plumber, Jeremy Wise, spent several hours finding and fixing leaks. The end result was a system that held 30psi overnight without any pressure drop. Jeff Waldner, who will be taking over the team leader role later this year, found that Computer-aided Design (CAD) should never be fully trusted, as he was left remaking mounting brackets for vital battery components with only hours to spare.

For the ANL inspection that took place three days later, the team assembled and installed the new rear cradle for the first time. Surprisingly, everything fit. Although the team didn’t get the chance to hook it up to the A123Systems battery, overall they were happy with the way things turned out.

ANL's Mike Wahlstrom under the hood of UVic's EcoCAR

With only one month remaining before vehicle shipment, several key steps remain: integration of the A123Systems battery with the 2-Mode transmission, software control of the 2-Mode transmission, and building a CAN gateway for the LE9 engine control module. One thing is for certain, many more sleepless nights to come in preparation for Yuma!

“HEVT is off to a good start, but the team has several big projects to tackle in the next six months before heading to competition,” said Patrick Walsh, a graduate research assistant from Richmond, VA.

In the next few weeks, the team will be building its battery pack with modules and controllers donated by A123Systems, installing its rear electric motor with a custom subframe built by TriFab, and installing its Hybrid Vehicle Supervisory Controller provided by National Instruments.  Check back to the blog for a video of Virginia Tech’s completed vehicle, but for now here’s a teaser off what it takes to do a engine swap!

Chevy Volt on display at 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Last week at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, General Motors’ Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz, announced that GM would make a 100% battery-electric version of the Chevy Volt by removing the gas engine and expanding the battery pack.

It is uncertain when it will happen, but exciting news nonetheless! It will be interesting to find out the vehicle’s electric range and estimated price.

What are your thoughts on GM’s idea of making a full-function electric vehicle?

Another big story that ties back to the EcoCAR program is Fisker Automotive choosing EcoCAR competition sponsor, A123Systems, as the battery supplier to power Fisker’s upcoming plug-in hybrid luxury vehicle, the Fisker Karma!

A123Systems was up against some hefty competition including, Advanced Lithium Power and Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel, so this was a big win for the company.

Production of the Karma is scheduled to begin this year, so keep your eye out for the cool car below!

The Fisker Karma

• The team’s GM-donated vehicle will have enough power to drive all electric for 40 miles, up to full speed and full performance
• It will be installed to have very little intrusion to the passenger compartment and trunk cargo bay
• It will be liquid cooled using a vacuum brazed heat exchanger designed by the EcoCAR team

The OSU team is excited to begin construction and assembly of the battery packs, and more importantly, begin HIL communication testing and fault detection/prevention.

A big thank you to A123Systems for its support and prompt delivery of such a crucial part of the OSU team’s vehicle design!

Enjoy!

The WVU EcoCAR Team at F1 Boston

F1 Champ Andrew Wiedrich

The West Virginia University EcoCAR Team kicked off the Year 2 Competition by chalking up their first victory as the F1 Race Champs! Andrew Wiedrich led his team to victory by placing first out of nine schools in the Track Two Challenge at the Formula One in Boston.

“I was extremely excited that I won. Starting in eighth place out of nine schools I had my work cut out for me, but somehow I was able to sneak through to the front of the race,” said Wiedrich.

He added, “After the race I was so pumped up on adrenaline that I was shaking!”

The F1 race was just one of the many highlights of the Year 2 Fall Workshop for Wiedrich and his team members. Over the course of five days, the team attended several classes and training sessions provided by The MathWorks, Argonne National Laboratory, A123Systems and General Motors. The team found the classes to be extremely professional and absolutely critical for developing their ClearVue 2-Mode Hybrid Vehicle.

“I think the first place finish in the F1 race is just the beginning of a winning streak for WVU that will continue to the competition at the General Motors proving grounds in Yuma in the Spring of 2010,” said Wiedrich.

Today’s presenters included Connie Bezanson from DOE, Paul Smith from The MathWorks, Rob Mosher from A123Systems and Kent Helfrich from General Motors.

Here are some photos from the event:

The Teams Gather After Press Conference

Kent Helfrich from General Motors

A123Systems is a Platinum Sponsor of the EcoCAR Challenge, providing advance lithium battery modules to 14 of the 17 universities. In the first academic year of EcoCAR these 14 EcoCAR teams were challenged to design their own custom battery pack using the A123Systems modules and battery management system. In Year 2, kicking off this September, teams will receive the A123Systems battery modules they will use to build and integrate their battery pack into their competition vehicle. In preparation for this monumental task, A123Systems is hosting a session during the Fall workshop to give EcoCAR teams a first-hand look at the battery system’s components and an opportunity to tour the battery manufacturing facilities.

Participating EcoCAR universities will also:

• Review battery system assembly best practices
• Review Safe Handling Procedures
• Learn tools for communicating with battery pack control systems
• Review operating strategies from the computer interface
• Review methods for debugging and troubleshooting

Stay tuned to see how these EcoCAR teams turn their 123′s into RPMs! To learn more about A123Systems go to http://www.a123systems.com/