Student Electric Car Wins for Best Design

MELBOURNE, FLA. —  A student project, Florida Tech’s Racing Electric Vehicle (REV), won the Florida Electric Auto Association’s “Best Design” at the
organization’s international conference in late January. The conference was held at Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter.
The Florida Tech REV vied against 10 other cars. Teams came to compete from as far away as Oregon and Canada.
“The team made an excellent impression on the electric car enthusiasts, especially because, after they worked on the design for months, they built the car
to the display level in only three weeks,” said Frank Leslie, one of the team’s advisers. By May, the team plans to have the car able to accelerate from 0
to 60 miles per hour (mph) in about five seconds and able to reach top speeds of 85 mph.
Key REV team members and College of Engineering students are Elizabeth Diaz, team leader; Jason Miner, mechanical lead; and Matt Reedy, electrical lead.
Advisers include Pierre LaRochelle, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Barry Grossman, professor of electrical and computer
engineering; and Stephanie Hopper, director of College of Engineering laboratories.
The car will be on display at the Student Design Showcase on April 13, from 1 to 4 p.m., in the Clemente Center for Sports and Recreation. The team hopes
to take the REV
to the formula hybrid competition May 1-3 at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. The team members would compete in acceleration, autocross and endurance
races. The team
is looking for donations for battery packs and for travel expenses to the competition. More information is available by sending e-mail to
ediaz01@gmail.com.