OSU EcoCAR: Who says smart can't be fun?

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This morning it was announced that Ohio State’s Technical Poster came in third place at the EcoCAR Winter Workshop in Daytona Beach. The Poster was designed by team member Brad Cooley and represented our team’s Vehicle Architecture, and Simulations that were used to develop our Hardware in the Loop (HIL) designs.  The poster was very comprehensive, and gave a clear and concise picture of what the Ohio State team is doing. The team is having a great time at the Winter Workshop where we have given presentations on both our HIL and Outreach initiatives.

The rest of the day is designated to reviewing tips for the final EcoCAR competition of year two, and all of the different deliverables leading up to the end of the year. Later today the Outreach teams will be meeting with over 2000 Boy Scouts in the middle of the Daytona International Speedway to talk about the competition.

We have also had the opportunity to talk with EcoCAR coordinators, and many of our generous sponsors, letting them know that all of their help is greatly appreciated and what we are doing with their donations. Although it has been snowing in Florida...This has been a great opportunity for our team members to take a break from working on the car, and to come together with all of the other teams and remember the wonderful work we are doing together to advance Green Technology.

The OSU EcoCAR team is currently in Daytona Beach, Florida for the Year 2 Winter Workshop! The team arrived Wednesday night (1/6/09) and was welcomed to Daytona Beach by a Welcoming Social with all of the other teams. We started today bright and early at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University which is hosting many of the events. The Outreach team presented their poster detailing the unveiling of our car, and then we all went to the Daytona International Speedway for the Winter Workshop Opening Ceremony and Lunch. Following Lunch John Kruckenberg and Brad Cooley gave a wonderful presentation regarding our Year 2 efforts using the HIL (Hardware in the Loop). Tonight we go back to the Speedway to meet and greet with competition sponsors. Day 1 has proven to be a success, and we look forward to our Outreach Presentation tomorrow!

On November 22nd the OSU EcoCAR team went to the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo for recycling day.  The team spoke with zoo patrons as they entered the park and did little to solicite the competition as all were very supportive of Ohio State and EcoCARs messages.  The team taught children how our hybrid vehicle works and discussed the future of technology with countless adults en route to viewing the beautiful Cleveland Zoo.  We are very appreciative of them for allowing us to attend the event and look forward to next year when we can bring the GM sponsored twin-clutch hybrid with us.

Two front seats and a battery in the back were all that remained in OSU EcoCAR interior Wednesday Dec. 2. The team took the car to the local 
Ohio Highway Patrol office to get a final inspection performed so the team can order Ohio license plates. Everything passed the inspection, now
the team can complete the dis-assembly of the vehicle and make room for the components that will give our design a 300% increase in fuel economy.

The license plate isn't the only badge going on the car, you still have one day left to submit a new name for our car at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Image by: Tyler Joswick

Saturday, November 7th, three members of our Business team drove in our Challenge X Equinox to Happy Valley. We parked along side Penn State's EcoCAR team, and their Challenge X Vehicle, and spread the word about the EcoCAR competition. Fans from both teams stopped by to look at the cars and to ask us questions about the competition, and the designs of our cars. The Penn State team got us a spot right by the stadium, so we had a lot of traffic and onlookers. We were also parked right next to Penn State's Solar House, so together we all spread the message of a Greener tomorrow. Penn State's EcoCAR team welcomed us with a great tailgate BBQ, which was perfect after the long trip to State College. We had a wonderful time spent with good company, while supporting the EcoCAR competition.