30 Years of Supermileage…SAE International and Eaton Corporation!

MARSHALL, MI., July 1, 2009

The thirty-year relationship between Eaton Corporation and SAE International continues to be strong, providing a venue and developing future engineers.  45 teams registered for the 2009 competition held June 4-5, the largest in recent memory. Teams from all over the world including Canada, India and Bahrain competed in the two-day high mileage event.  The Supermileage competition provides engineering and technology students with a challenging design project that involves the development and construction of a single-person, fuel-efficient vehicle. Vehicles are powered by a small four-cycle engine donated by Briggs and Stratton, also a thirty-year partner. The vehicles run a specified course with the vehicle obtaining the highest combined kilometers per liter (miles per gallon) rating plus design segment points winning the event. Students have the opportunity to set a world fuel economy record and increase public awareness of fuel economy. 

The event takes place at the Eaton Corporation Marshall, Michigan Proving Grounds. Teams go through a rigorous safety and technical inspection and an onsite oral presentation of their vehicles; slalom and brake test round out the first days’ activities. The second day consists of 6 lap runs around Eaton’s 1.6 mile test track. The teams can conduct as many 6 lap runs as time permits with the single highest mileage run counting toward their final score. 

On hand to celebrate the 30^th anniversary was 2009 SAE President, Dr. James E. Smith and Vice President of Technology-Truck Group-Eaton, Thomas R. Stover. 

The overall winner of this year’s competition was Universite Laval from Canada with economy mileage of 1804 miles per gallon and a combined score of 2099. This was their second consecutive win at the competition taking the 2008 title as well. The top overall winners are below; for a complete listing please visit the SAE website at: http://students.sae.org/competitions/supermileage/results/ 

SAE competitions would not be possible if it wasn’t for the support from a large number of people. SAE Collegiate Design Series would like to thank Eaton and all of the Eaton volunteers who helped make this event possible for the last thirty years; for selflessly giving up their free time and energy to organize and manage the event, especially James "Jim" Gluys, Anne Wadsworth and all of the other hard working members of the organizing committee. And most importantly to the students who participate and provide feedback on how we can improve these events for future competitions. SAE International thanks everyone who helped make this event a great success!!  Happy 30 Years!!

Top 3 Overall Winners: 
1. Universite Laval 
2. Michigan Tech University 
3. California State University - Los Angeles 

Best Design Report, Combined Written & Verbal: 
Michigan Tech University 

Most Visually Appealing Vehicle: 
University of Massachusetts – Amherst (Team V.V.C.F.O.) 

Closest Predicted to Actual Fuel Economy: 
University of Cincinnati 

Best Demonstrated Overall Team Attitude: 
Universite Laval