HEVT

The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team of Virginia Tech, better known as HEVT, is a nationally recognized undergraduate student design team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. HEVT was formed in 1994 to compete in the 1995 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Challenge, one of the many competitions organized by the Argonne National Laboratory through the United States Department of Energy. HEVT has been involved in the Department of Energy Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTCs) ever since. HEVT attributes a significant amount of its success to their Advisor, Professor Doug Nelson in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Nelson has received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor award at competition 3 times. He has greatly aided the education of students at Virginia Tech and helped the team succeed at competition The overall highlights of past competitions are as follows:

HEVT devotes time each month to community outreach, in which they provide the community with information about sustainability, hybrid technology, AVTCS and the team. Outreach events target youth, community members, influencers, other students and the media. A few of HEVT's outreach events that have occurred within the past few years include National Odyssey Day, EcoDrive, Relay for Life and Innovation under the Hood.

Virginia Tech's HEVT placed first in the 1996 challenge held in Detroit. In 1996 HEVT also received awards for best workmanship, most energy efficient vehicle, lowest regulated tailpipe emissions, best use of alternative fuels, and overall best dynamic handling. The 1996 vehicle was based on a 1995 Chevrolet Lumina, donated through PNGV, which utilized a General Electric electric motor, a three-cylinder Geo Metro engine, and a large battery pack. The vehicle, fueled by propane, could go 600 miles without refueling while getting between 40 and 50 mpgge (Crumbley 1996).

HEVT placed second in the 1997 competition (UW 1997).

HEVT tied with the University of Wisconsin team for first place in the 1998 FutureCar Challenge (Launey 1998). That year HEVT also won awards for best consumer acceptability, best vehicle design inspection, best acceleration, best dynamic handling, best overall engineering design, and best solo autocross (ECE News 1998).

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