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FutureTruck is California Bound
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September 16, 2003 -- Michigan Tech's FutureTruck team will join more than 100 other vehicles next week in California for the 2003 Challenge Bibendum.
The event, sponsored by Michelin and named for its Michelin man (known almost everywhere but in the U.S. by his real name, "Bibendum"), showcases the cleanest-running, advanced-technology vehicles in the world.
The challenge, centered at Sonoma's Infineon Raceway, will run Sept. 23-25 and will feature vehicles from the world's major automakers. This is only the second time that Challenge Bibendum has visited North America.
The 2003 Challenge Bibendum is the largest ever. Participating automakers include Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Freightliner, General Motors, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu Truck, Nissan, Peugeot, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and Volvo Truck. Some of the most advanced vehicles in the world will be joined by more than 35 Learning Center technology displays and top industry speakers from Europe, China and the United States, as well as more than 1,000 attendees from 30 countries.
The top three finishers in the 2003 FutureTruck competition were invited to participate. Teams from the University of California at Davis and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, are also bringing their SUVs to Challenge Bibendum.
Participants include 11 fuel cell vehicles, 18 hydrogen-powered vehicles and an even split between prototypes and production models.
"The 2003 Challenge Bibendum will be incredible," said Ron Musgnug, Michelin's North American project leader for the 2003 event. "The participation from the manufacturers, policymakers and leading technology developers from around the world has been phenomenal. Attendees to this year's event are sure to get a complete picture of the current situation and future promise for sustainable mobility worldwide as well as drive for themselves some of the most advanced vehicles in existence."
Bibendum will be a different experience from FutureTruck, said Associate Professor John Beard (MEEM), the team's advisor. While FutureTruck is an engineering competition for university students, "Bibendum gives the media the big picture of environmentally friendly vehicles," he said, from hybrids to hydrogen to bio-diesel.
The official kickoff for Challenge Bibendum will be on Sept. 23. Testing, press conferences, presentations, information booths and ride 'n' drives take place at the track on Sept. 24. The event culminates on Sept. 25 with a 100-mile road rally through the Sonoma Valley and across the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.
For more information on Challenge Bibendum, visit http://www.challengebibendum.com/ . To learn more about Michigan Tech's FutureTruck team, go to http://www.me.mtu.edu/~fcc/ .
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