Project Spotlight

Welcome to the New "Moollennium"?

By Elisabeth Kuisis

When it comes to Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Team Paradigm know their stuff. Since 1992, Team Paradigm has been competing with various universities from across North America in events such as the HEV Challenge and the FutureCar Challenge. The team consists of UW-Madison undergraduate students who work together to build Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Learning from seasoned members, many members have little or no previous experience with automotive mechanics. With a constant turn over as old members graduate, the newer members teach the next generation, only to repeat this master/apprentice type learning environment year after year. Six groups, each responsible for a different system of the car, make up Team Paradigm. Each individual group leader coordinates projects, teaches new members, and takes responsibility for the vehicle's developments in their designated system.

The UW-Madison Team Paradigm's current competition is the FutureTruck Program. Without compromising any safety, convenience and performance features on the vehicle, teams must modify the existing powertrain to increase energy efficiency as measured by the vehicle's total greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors Corporation sponsored this four-year competition in 2000 and 2001, and then in 2002 and 2003, corporate sponsorship was handed over to Ford Motor Company. Participation in the FutureTruck 2000 and 2001 competition consisted of fifteen selected universities from across the United States. General Motors donated a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban SUV and ten thousand dollars in "seed" money to each participating university team. FutureTruck 2002 and 2003 will see sixteen universities compete with new vehicles but with the same objective.

So, what is the Moollennium? The Moollennium is a parallel hybrid electric vehicle, which supplies power directly to the wheels for driving from the engine and the motor. The amount of power supplied by each is determined by the vehicle's computer and is controlled by the optimum fuel economy. The UW-Madison Team Paradigm's Moollennium placed 4th overall and won seven individual awards in the FutureTruck 2000 competition. In the FutureTruck 2001 competition, the team placed 2nd overall, taking home top scores in the Best On-Road Fuel Economy and Lowest Greenhouse Gas Emissions categories. The Moollennium achieved 32 miles per gallon, which doubles that of an average SUV currently on the market, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by half! Team Paradigm is currently modifying yet another vehicle for competition in the next two years of the FutureTruck challenge. Wish them luck!

Lis is a Communication Specialist with the Transportation Section of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Milwaukee office.