CONTACT: Catharine Lamm
1-603-646-3943

Dartmouth's 5th annual Formula Hybrid Competition will take place on May 1–4 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH. Founded and run by Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, the competition features high-performance hybrid and electric race cars built by teams of undergraduate and graduate engineering students.

McGill University at the 2010 competition.

Thirty three teams are registered including from Russia, China/Taiwan, Canada, and Sweden. Last year's winner, Italy, plans to return in 2012.

Dartmouth based its event on the Formula SAE® competition, in which Dartmouth students competed for over 10 years.

Like Formula SAE®, students compete in aspects of design, acceleration, handling, and endurance of their vehicle and abide by a long list of rules. Formula Hybrid teams, however, are faced with the additional challenge of optimizing both fuel efficiency and sustainability of materials used in their cars.

"Although competing and winning serves as a powerful motivator," said Doug Fraser, director of the competition, "the real purpose of the event is education." True to this mission, and back by popular demand, is Formula Hybrid School Day—scheduled for day two of the competition (Monday). Throughout this day, middle and high school students will enjoy guided tours with volunteers from the New England Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and other knowledgeable experts.

For all other spectators, "The best day to attend is Tuesday, May 3rd for the morning Acceleration Runs or at 1:00pm for the Autocross Event," said Wynne Washburn, the competition's Deputy Director, "Then stop by the BBQ hosted by Dartmouth Society of Engineers and the IEEE Student Chapter" (6:30pm).

See the competition website for more schedule information.

Competition sponsors include the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), New Hampshire Motor Speedway, SolidWorks, Ford, Toyota, General Motors, and Chrysler.