It’s year one. Four different teams specializing in electronics, controls, mechanics and business are coming together to help design, promote and build an alternatively fueled vehicle for the upcoming EcoCAR competition.”We are one of only 17 schools in North America to be chosen to compete,” said senior in mechanical engineering and project leader Ali Seyam. Seyam got involved with the project last year and helped plan out the proposal with fellow mechanical engineering senior Adam Zipperer.”He told me about making the proposal and I got really interested,” said Seyam. “I lost all my spring break working on it but it was worth it.” In this first stage, students are designing a whole vehicle before they receive it through computer software that generates images and models of the car’s design. Another kind of software is also used to output results on the vehicle’s range, fuel economy and emissions. A lot of major companies are shifting more toward the use of computer modeling of vehicles before any kind of hardware is used, Seyam said.N.C. State’s team of engineers is working diligently to finalize their design for their vehicle.”Our hybrid vehicle project will have a diesel engine instead of a normal gasoline engine like a Prius,” Raymond Herchenroder, senior in electrical engineering, said. “It will also incorporate the electric motor from the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell SUV.”In year two, General Motors will provide each competing team with a 2009 Saturn Vue to which to apply their designs. The teams are expected to receive their vehicles around August of next year.Though the project does focus a lot on the areas of mechanics and engineering, Seyam said their team is in need of business majors and a web designer. The business team represents a valuable and essential factor to the success of the project because they oversee all financial and promotional aspects.”We are looking for more people for the business team to help manage the budget and figure out how we will sell the product to sponsors,” Seyam said. “We also have outreach commitments that must be met.”Since the project is still in the planning phases, the absence of the needed business majors has yet to cause any real problems. However, the engineers involved in the designing are having to fill in voids until extra help is found.”Engineers essentially have to pull double duty,” Seyam said. “We really need specialized people to look at financing and advertising.”Herchenroder agrees. Treasurers, secretaries, outreach coordinators and sponsorship recruiters are some of the top positions to be filled.A web developer, however, is the position needed the most.”Each school is required to make a website,” Seyam said. “So if anybody is interested, I would very much like to speak with them.”The need for a more extensive business team is becoming greater as a mandatory presentation by the team on the project must be given in Detroit next semester.”Some of the students will be flying with us on the trips to make presentations,” Herchenroder said. “This is serious stuff, and there are some significant dollars being thrown around.Anyone interested in getting involved with the project is encouraged to get in contact with project leader Ali Seyam via email. Business majors and web designers are most encouraged to apply but some mechanical and electrical engineers are still needed. For more information on the EcoCar challenge please visit www.ecocarchallenge.org or students.engr.ncsu.edu/weel/ECC.