In an era of rising gas prices, a team of UW engineering students is trying to help a car company build a vehicle that gets better gas mileage. It’s part of General Motors Car X Challenge. As part of the multi-year contest, teams from 17 universities are taking a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox and trying to increase its mileage by 50-percent.
With the changes the UW team has made so far, faculy advisor Glenn Bower said the SUV can get about 40 miles to the gallon in lab tests, a little more than 30 in real time road tests.