Student-Engineered "Green" Vehicles Cross the Finish Line in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM) will host a finish line ceremony featuring second-generation vehicles from the collegiate engineering competition Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, marking the end of a four year competition and a 350 mile road rally from New York City to Washington, D.C.

Challenge X is a unique multi-year engineering competition, providing 17 university teams from across North America the opportunity to create innovative advanced propulsion technology solutions to increase energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and fundamentally change the way we power our automobiles. Each team has re-engineered a Chevrolet Equinox Crossover SUV using a range of cutting-edge clean vehicle technologies such as hybrid, plug-in or fuel cell propulsion systems. All vehicles are powered by alternative fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol and hydrogen.

Challenge X provides students the opportunity to gain real-world engineering skills and hands-on experience to prepare them for a future career in engineering. The competition also helps seed the automotive industry with engineers who are committed to advancing clean vehicle technology to address the energy and transportation challenges of the 21st Century. Since the competition began in 2004, Challenge X has offered the industry hundreds of engineering students that are better prepared for future careers in the automotive industry. Additional information about Challenge X is available at http://www.challengex.org.

WHO: U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman

WHAT: Remarks at Challenge X Finish Line Ceremony and gaggle

WHEN: Wednesday, May 21, 2008

10:30a.m. EDT

WHERE: U.S. Department of Energy

L'Enfant Plaza Promenade

1000 Independence Ave, SW

Washington, D.C. 20585