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 eneral
Motors announced that it will join the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) as a primary sponsor of "FutureTruck" for the
years 2000 and 2001. Michael A. Grimaldi, GM vice president and
vehicle line executive of full-size trucks, made the announcement
here at the concluding ceremonies of the "1999 FutureCar
Challenge."
 The FutureCar
Challenge gave college students the opportunity to use their
creativity and innovation to solve "real-life" engineering
and business problems. Participating colleges and universities
re-engineered passenger cars to operate on advanced, alternative
fuel technology. The vehicles are evaluated on performance, fuel
economy, emissions and consumer features.
GM has been
a cosponsor of FutureCar since 1996 and a major sponsor - with
the Department of Energy and Natural Resources Canada - of the
1998 and 1999 Ethanol Vehicle Challenges. GM of Canada will sponsor
the 2000 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge. GM also cosponsors the International
EcoCar 2000 with the Society of Automotive Engineers.
"GM is
committed to the advancement of alternative fuels and advanced
vehicle technologies," said Grimaldi. "The 2000-2001
program will be called 'FutureTruck' because the focus of experiments
will shift to trucks.
"FutureTruck
recognizes the fact that trucks are hot! Our customers want trucks,
and we see no signs that this demand will slow any time soon,"
he said.
In November,
GM will donate 15 all-new, 2000 model year Chevrolet Suburban
sport utility vehicles to the universities chosen to participate
in "FutureTruck 2000." These trucks will be equipped
with Vortec 5300 V8 engines, four-speed automatic transmissions
and four-wheel drive. The student teams will convert the trucks
to operate on hybrid electric, fuel cell or other advanced automotive
technologies. They will meet in the spring to undergo a series
of tests, competing for prize money.
Grimaldi said
that the new Suburban, like GM's Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra
full-size pickups, has improved fuel economy and lower emissions,
and is the most recyclable full-size sport utility in GM's history.
As the primary
sponsor, GM will also provide a total of $150,000 in seed money
to the schools, $80,000 in prize money for the next two years
of the competition, technical workshops and assistance, and a
venue for the judging. Testing and judging will be held next
May at GM's Desert Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona. 
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