Penn College News

Research Vehicles Spark Attention at NACAT Conference

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Toyota's Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle, in which hydrogen reacts with oxygen to produce water (and electricity that powers the car), on display outside the ATC Robert R. Wimmer, national manager, energy and environmental research group, Toyota Motor North America, explains the FCHV to Williamsport Sun-Gazette photographer Mark Nance WNEP's Norm Jones, accompanied by Chris Peterson of Toyota Motor North America, gets ready to take a $1 million-plus prototype vehicle for a spin through the city Joel Anstrom, director of the hybrid and hydrogen vehicle research laboratory at Penn State (third from left), with the EcoCar The automobile industry's future, of keen interest to the automotive teachers mentoring tomorrow's vehicle technicians, is today's reality at Penn College. The North American Council of Automotive Instructors, holding its 35th annual conference on campus, heard presentations Tuesday on vehicles that use technology to reduce petroleum dependency and greenhouse-gas emissions. Toyota brought along a prototype fuel-cell vehicle, which attracted considerable attention (and some willing test-drivers) from attendees and the media alike. Also on hand was The Pennsylvania State University's EcoCAR research vehicle, which gives engineering students the opportunity to design and build cars that demonstrate leading-edge technologies, with the goal of minimizing the environmental impact of personal transportation. Among the visitors was WNEP's Norm Jones, whose report on the Toyota vehicle aired at 5:30 Tuesday evening. Additional coverage, including his interviews with conference organizers and attendees, tentatively was to broadcast later in the day. The Williamsport Sun-Gazette also published an article about the car on the front page of Wednesday's editions.