High School Kids Build Hybrid Race Car

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It looks like a super car. Accelerates like a super car. Does 0 to 60 in four seconds and gets sixty miles per gallong. Who built this awesome hybrid? A group of high school kids. This car needs a “Built and driven by your honor roll student” bumper sticker.

Called the Hybrid Attack, the car was built by kids from West Philly’s Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering. And if that alone doesn’t make them cool, they are the only high school team competing out of 90 different teams from the U.S. and overseas.
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Cool but, Ross-Tech should change their product name.. the "VAG" part of the logo just stands out too much.
 
k1pp3r said:
So high school students can do what GM can't?
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Europeans have tons of high mileage diesels that we don't (some getting as high as 75mpg highway). There are pretty strict requirements on diesels here that these teens might not be required to follow, or at least that was my understanding as why we don't see diesels here in the states.

That said, it IS a kit car. The K-1 Attack it looks like: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...percars-specialty_file/2007_k-1_attack_page_2
 
kllrnohj said:
Europeans have tons of high mileage diesels that we don't (some getting as high as 75mpg highway). There are pretty strict requirements on diesels here that these teens might not be required to follow, or at least that was my understanding as why we don't see diesels here in the states.

That said, it IS a kit car. The K-1 Attack it looks like: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...percars-specialty_file/2007_k-1_attack_page_2
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x2


still pretty cool though, I would of loved to do that in HS
 
lol we didn't even have a shop class in highschool, not even a parking lot big enough for all students (had to park in the neighborhood and walk 15 minutes
 
On the website it says that 96 teams out of 111 made the first round of tests for the competition, but competitive testing isn't until May and August 2010.
 
Blazemore said:
After seeing the pics, I'm thinking there is no way a group of high school students built that. Nice to have done that in HS, we barely had enough funds to buy tools for shop class :(.
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I live in the area and saw their team on the local news a while back, before this was finished. I forget how they are affording this but this is the real deal.
 
Huge props to these kids. This is an achievement they will have for life. I'd hire any one of them because they know their shit and that's what it's about.
 
Blazemore said:
After seeing the pics, I'm thinking there is no way a group of high school students built that. Nice to have done that in HS, we barely had enough funds to buy tools for shop class :(.
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They didn't "build" it so much as "put it together". Its a kit car. They didn't need to fab parts or anything like that (aside from maybe making alterations to get things to fit). I have no trouble believing they did it, just as dozens have built K-1 Attacks before them. Not super impressive or anything like that, but still totally cool.
 
Yiffy said:
Cool but, Ross-Tech should change their product name.. the "VAG" part of the logo just stands out too much.
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They'll probably keep it since they developed the system to interface with Volkswagen Audi Group cars.
 
kllrnohj said:
Europeans have tons of high mileage diesels that we don't (some getting as high as 75mpg highway). There are pretty strict requirements on diesels here that these teens might not be required to follow, or at least that was my understanding as why we don't see diesels here in the states.

That said, it IS a kit car. The K-1 Attack it looks like: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...percars-specialty_file/2007_k-1_attack_page_2
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The problem with looking at fuel efficiency of European vehicles is 1) They are often quoted in imperial gallons which are significantly larger than US gallons and 2) In Europe they don't have the same stringent emission standards we do.

Along with the emission standards, in the US, we got some pretty bad diesel cars back in the 70s and that turned much of the public off of buying a diesel car. There are some from VW though, but even the Golf only gets 42 mpg on the highway.

As for a highschool doing this, it sure isn't a normal highschool. I can't think of a single highschool around me that would have the funding, resources, or students to do a project this big.
 
siliconnerd said:
The problem with looking at fuel efficiency of European vehicles is 1) They are often quoted in imperial gallons which are significantly larger than US gallons and 2) In Europe they don't have the same stringent emission standards we do.

Along with the emission standards, in the US, we got some pretty bad diesel cars back in the 70s and that turned much of the public off of buying a diesel car. There are some from VW though, but even the Golf only gets 42 mpg on the highway.
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True, a VW Jetta TDI gets ~41 mpg here in the states. But its also a 3200lb car whereas the K-1 attack is ~2300lbs. Losing 900 lbs alone is going to do wonders for fuel economy, much less making it a hybrid.

As for a highschool doing this, it sure isn't a normal highschool. I can't think of a single highschool around me that would have the funding, resources, or students to do a project this big.
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True, that highschool has to be loaded. The K-1 Attack isn't a cheap kit car (finished build can easily be $75,000 - $100,000)
 
Not your typical high school...

"Called the Hybrid Attack, the car was built by kids from West Philly’s Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering. And if that alone doesn’t make them cool, they are the only high school team competing out of 90 different teams from the U.S. and overseas."
 
kllrnohj said:
They didn't "build" it so much as "put it together". Its a kit car. They didn't need to fab parts or anything like that (aside from maybe making alterations to get things to fit). I have no trouble believing they did it, just as dozens have built K-1 Attacks before them. Not super impressive or anything like that, but still totally cool.
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"putting together" and "building" is the same thing.
 
nicknations said:
"putting together" and "building" is the same thing.
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In this context, I think building implies that they fabricated the body and other parts themselves, along with choosing all individual parts for the car. Putting together insinuates that all the parts and body panels were supplied to them in the kit already and they just had to follow the directions and/or put the parts together themselves.

These guys had the latter which isn't nearly as impressive, but still impressive, nonetheless. I wish my HS had 1/10th the budget they did for stuff like this, heh. Even if they did though, it would have all went toward the football team. :rolleyes:
 
siliconnerd said:
The problem with looking at fuel efficiency of European vehicles is 1) They are often quoted in imperial gallons which are significantly larger than US gallons and 2) In Europe they don't have the same stringent emission standards we do.

Along with the emission standards, in the US, we got some pretty bad diesel cars back in the 70s and that turned much of the public off of buying a diesel car. There are some from VW though, but even the Golf only gets 42 mpg on the highway.

As for a highschool doing this, it sure isn't a normal highschool. I can't think of a single highschool around me that would have the funding, resources, or students to do a project this big.
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Definitely not a normal high school.... that being said, it really isn't that hard to get 60+ mpg with a small diesel engine.

Take my friend's '80 VW Rabbit 4-door that we rebuilt the engine in.

Stock it was a 1.5L that got around 40-50mpg.... Strocked it out to a 1.6L with the crank of a 1.6L engine while still using the 1.5L block.. had to do a bit of modding for the rods to clear the piston bores, etc.. I did quite a bit of research beforehand.

After it was all said and done, it was way faster than stock and gets about 60mpg easy... he got over 70 in it one of the times he checked mpg in it. This car is in no way hybrid... only plain Diesel. This is in U.S. gallons.

For an almost 30 year old car that is amazing... I am sure the aerodynamics, gearing, drivetrain, engine, etc. on that kit car are all WAY WAY WAY better than a little old VW Rabbit could ever hope to achieve.

Getting 100mpg+ out of a hybrid diesel car of the size in that article should in fact be fairly easy... especially if they have the monetary backing for the right parts.. and from the looks of it, they do.
 
Giant check by exxonmobil. What do they do, copyright the cars entered in the contest to make sure they never see the light of day?
 
We must have even more strict emession rules in Sweden than in the US then because we don't get no 75mpg cars. A great mileage in Sweden is considered anything that uses below 5 litres per 100km (which converts to about 47mpg). Our gasoline have high octane compared to the US (Not sure if that has anything to do with it) starting at 95 for regular, 96 and 98 for the more expensive ones. Still I consider 5 litres per 100km to be pretty good for large cars such as Volvo V70 (Diesel) and Mercedes S-class (Petrol). Diesel has become very popular here lately because they are much more effiecent than petrol and has gotten a lot cleaner lately due to particle filters. Some say a modern diesel is more eco-friendly than petrol. For example the petrol Volvo S40 uses a whopping 9 litres per 100km (about 25mpg) which is twice as much as the diesel version which uses only 4.4 litres per 100km.

Note that all numbers are for mixed driving, meaning half on highways and half in cities. If Americans use only highway numbers than that would explain the better numbers since driving on a highway uses less fuel per km than snailing through a city at rush hour barely moving while the engine is still spewing out gas.

I think it's great that they managed to build the car and put some pressure on the big companies. Now everyone will say "How come a large company like Ford or GM can't make a car like that when HS students can?" $75k sounds cheap considering a Corvette starts at $100k over here, but of course $75k would be more like $120k if it ever was sold here due to import costs.

If you have ever wondered why Europeans don't buy American cars, it's because of the high price. A Chrysler in Sweden costs about the same as a BMW, Mercedes or a pimped out Volvo S80 and why not get the better car then if the price is the same (no offense but I think a BMW beats a Chrysler in quality)
 
"Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering."

i guess that would pretty much cover it.
 
That's pretty BA.

Doesn't look like it was all that cheap...were the hell did they get that money? :confused:
 
the-one1 said:
They built it WITH a kit. They did not build the car.
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Yes, they did built the car. That is how building a car works. What they didn't do was mold and engineer a brand new car from scratch. However, they did take a kit and re-purpose it into a hybrid, which I'm pretty sure is not just a lego kit operation.
 
cyclone3d said:
For an almost 30 year old car that is amazing... I am sure the aerodynamics, gearing, drivetrain, engine, etc. on that kit car are all WAY WAY WAY better than a little old VW Rabbit could ever hope to achieve.

.
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This right here, Most US vehicles are geared all wrong for their engine, and get too much drivetrain loss. I got and extra 5mpg out of my Jeep just y lowering the gear ratio. I get about 22mpg with larger tires. I got 17mpg 18 when I was lucky with stock gearing and stock tires. (3.07 gearing ~28" tires ~1900rpm @65mph ) I'm running a 35 now which if you do the math the it would put me smack dab in the middles between a 3.73 and 4.10 gear ratio to get back to stock. 4.10 would put me @ ~2000rpm @65mph, I re geared to 4.88 which puts me 2400-2500RPM @65mps right in middle of the peak torque and efficiency rating of my engine. I can also take most mountain passes in 4th gear instead or dropping into 3rd.
 
How is this a hybrid? Looks like a diesel to me. Is hybrid the term everybody uses to generate false interest nowadays? I took a hybrid shit yesterday, aka diarrhea.

nicknations said:
"putting together" and "building" is the same thing.
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The term "build" has been whored out to so many definitions that it doesn't mean the same thing it used to, so I guess you would be right. Kind of like "engineer" and "God".

Methadras said:
Huge props to these kids. This is an achievement they will have for life. I'd hire any one of them because they know their shit and that's what it's about.
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There is a slacker in every group. You would probably get the one just along for the ride. lol
 
I've seen HS teams "build" really cool things with "help" from a bigger entity (corporations).
All that the kids did was stand there and watch the building take place and take credit for it.
 
k1pp3r said:
So high school students can do what GM can't?
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It's not a matter of "can't" it's a matter of "wont" as it would effect every corner of the industry. There is a reason GM killed its electric car back in the day and is still slow in that area like other auto manufactures. If you take away the combustible engine you take away all the money that is made on replacement parts, repairs, fluids, FUEL, etc.

The Oil Industry has too much to lose as in 100s of trillions of dollars and that is why they keep a close grip on government officials so that things only change when it is in their favor. That is why they have lobbyists.

We are no more efficient than we were with the Model T automobile is most respects; it has taken our country 100+ years to go from 14mpg to 19 mpg for most vehicles and we are still producing vehicles that only get an estimated 13-15 mpg.
 
E7130 said:
It's not a matter of "can't" it's a matter of "wont" as it would effect every corner of the industry. There is a reason GM killed its electric car back in the day and is still slow in that area like other auto manufactures. If you take away the combustible engine you take away all the money that is made on replacement parts, repairs, fluids, FUEL, etc.

The Oil Industry has too much to lose as in 100s of trillions of dollars and that is why they keep a close grip on government officials so that things only change when it is in their favor. That is why they have lobbyists.

We are no more efficient than we were with the Model T automobile is most respects; it has taken our country 100+ years to go from 14mpg to 19 mpg for most vehicles and we are still producing vehicles that only get an estimated 13-15 mpg.
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Electric cars are not viable right now, until we have an easy way to refuel(recharge) quickly, they will never take off. I wouldn't drive a vehicle that required me to wait 20minutes to an hour or more to recharge when I'm going on an 800mile road trip especially if I have to do that every 50 miles. Diesle electric hybrids might be the answer for the short term. If you can get your commuter miles off the electric and recharge every night and use the diesel engine for anything longer.
 
OCgamer666 said:
Electric cars are not viable right now, until we have an easy way to refuel(recharge) quickly, they will never take off. I wouldn't drive a vehicle that required me to wait 20minutes to an hour or more to recharge when I'm going on an 800mile road trip especially if I have to do that every 50 miles. Diesle electric hybrids might be the answer for the short term. If you can get your commuter miles off the electric and recharge every night and use the diesel engine for anything longer.
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Exactly. It's not a conspiracy by an "evil corporation", it's just the reality of the technology limitations (then and now).

E7130, and how do you figure that...
We are no more efficient than we were with the Model T automobile is most respects; it has taken our country 100+ years to go from 14mpg to 19 mpg for most vehicles and we are still producing vehicles that only get an estimated 13-15 mpg.
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engine technology is LEAPS AND BOUNDS more efficient/advanced than it was back then. The model T's got approx 20mpg while producng 20HP

my (2004) car gets 22MPG and pushes 350 HP :) Thats quite an improvement IMO (and my car isn't exactly fuel efficient, there are way better examples out there)
 
Yiffy said:
Cool but, Ross-Tech should change their product name.. the "VAG" part of the logo just stands out too much.
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VAG COM is the program used to do diagnostics and alterations to VW and Audi vehicle computers here in the US.
 
OCgamer666 said:
Electric cars are not viable right now, until we have an easy way to refuel(recharge) quickly, they will never take off. I wouldn't drive a vehicle that required me to wait 20minutes to an hour or more to recharge when I'm going on an 800mile road trip especially if I have to do that every 50 miles. Diesle electric hybrids might be the answer for the short term. If you can get your commuter miles off the electric and recharge every night and use the diesel engine for anything longer.
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Not everyone needs a car that can go that far. There was actually quite a large market for the EV1 back in the day.
 
If you get out of the mentality that you need one car to do everything (I might carry 4 people someday, I need to drive a Hummer to work everyday), an electric car is perfectly viable. Sure, not everyone can afford two cars, but look at the typical driving distance on a typical day. I live at the very edge of my city, and go to school downtown which is 50 miles round trip. If an electric car did at least 50 miles on a charge (not difficult) that'd be viable.

There's plenty of MPG to be had out of recent cars. I have a 19 year old Camaro (V8) which I improved the mileage on from the stock 18 to 24 just making small changes to the EPROM. In GM's case (with this engine), they tune it a tad rich in order to enable the car to run in the cold of Canada and the heat of Death Valley. There's actually a Highway Mode coded into the chip to increase mileage further on longer-distance low load conditions, but the EPA made them disable it due to emissions standards.
 
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