May 02, 2008

HPV Pedals to First Place

Cal Poly's Human Powered Vehicle kicked up some dust at the Western Division HPV Competition hosted in April by the University of Nevada, Reno.

Competing against nearly three dozen other teams from across the Western U.S. - plus teams from as far away as Connecticut, the Cal Poly HPV, a sleek beauty named Athena, took first place in the Men's Sprint event. Powered by mechanical engineering student Andrew Ouellet, the vehicle reached a top speed of 46.8 miles per hour.  

Named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, art, industry, and skill, the Cal Poly entry combined state of the art fiber composite design with extensive computer aided modeling and wind tunnel testing. One of the lightest Cal Poly HPV ever in the 25 year history of this event, Athena also took second in overall design. 

Sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Human Powered Vehicle Competition (HPVC) is an international event. Competitions are also held in the eastern United States, as well as in South America.