14 DAY TRIAL // Boise University’s mission of launching a fully functional, fast pick-up truck powered by vegetable oil is now completed. The team of students is now bragging about their innovative Greenspeed that reached 155 miles per hour during a drive test in Southern California.
They prove that modern eco-friendly technology combined with the right skills and education can turn a common 1998 Chevrolet S-10 into a super green car. Knowledge is power once again, as the crew led by Dave Schenker showed everybody oil could do much more than cook our fries, according to Inhabitat. Schenker found a great source of inspiration in Rudolph Diesel’s work, meant to revolutionize farm equipment by allowing local farmers to actually grow their fuel resources. The team of technical engineers decided to apply the same technology to personal utility vehicles.
From the early beginnings, speed was their top priority. They first focused on aerodynamic improvements, but they didn't manage to radically change the appearance of S-10 pick–up truck.
Instead, the team tried to transform its 700 horsepower diesel engine by making it run on a special mix of cottonseed and sunflower oil. After their green vehicle reached 137 mph during a test drive, the students knew they could obtain more.
So the young engineers did everything in their power to break the previous record and their efforts paid off during the race that took place at El Mirage Dry Lake, where the vehicle exceeded all expectations, hitting an outstanding 155 miles per hour.
While some people would think this performance is enough to feed the team's ego, the students say they are eager to establish a new record of 215 mph in the near future.
To do so, they are currently planning to change the fuel with a more efficient canola oil blend and also intend to exploit the eco-benefits provided by algae biofuel.
Driving personal vehicles powered by eco-friendly fuels appears to be the main goal of the participants, as they struggle to learn more through each attempt. The Greenspeed project gives them the chance to apply what they are taught in school to real life issues.
“The idea was brought up in countless conversations with other students to no avail. He [Dave Schenker] kept trying until he found Jozey Mitcham. While studying together, the conversation turned to cars. It turns out that Jozey’s family has a very long racing history at Bonneville Salt Flats. The main attraction was to do something that hasn’t been done before at the Bonneville Salt Flats,” the young engineers explain.