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(NAPSI) - Challenge X, a multi--year collegiate vehicle competition sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy, is helping students gain valuable training and is providing the industry with experienced engineers who are ready to develop the "green" vehicle technologies needed today -- and tomorrow.
As the automotive industry is focusing more and more on the development of alternative vehicle technologies such as hybrids and fuel cells, new engineers will be needed to develop these innovative engine technologies.
Challenge X provides 17 university teams from across North America with real-world vehicle engineering experience. The teams follow the GM global vehicle development process to create technologies that increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Each team has re-engineered a Chevy Equinox with a range of hybrid, plug-in or fuel cell propulsion systems, powered by alternative fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol and hydrogen.
Since the competition began in 2004, GM has hired more than 50 students from the program. "Challenge X has prepared me for an exciting automotive career," said David Oglesby, student team leader of Mississippi State University, which won the Year Three competition in 2007. "It's a unique program that provided me with hands-on training that will give me an advantage in the job market."
Cindy Svestka, GM powertrain engineering manager and Challenge X graduate, also has praise for the program. "When we hire a Challenge X student, we know that we are getting a top-notch engineer with great experience and strong knowledge of our vehicle development process," she said. "It's a win-win for both the student and the automaker."
Ed Wall, the U.S. Department of Energy's manager of the Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, hopes the competition will create greater awareness of alternative fuels. "This competition focuses on advanced technology that promotes energy security and economic growth," he said.
"Challenge X demonstrates how government, industry and academia are working together to develop creative approaches and solutions to decreasing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in some of America's most popular vehicles."
Additional information is available on the Web at www. challengex.org.