
BYU-student-built electric car sets land speed record at Salt Flats - pwg
http://news.byu.edu/archive11-oct-byuelectriccarrecord.aspx
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Osiris
When I was at BYU as a student in the early 2000's, the engineering department
had another all electric vehicle they were working on based on a prototype
from a large U.S. car manufacturer. It was a standard 4-wheel road-worthy car
that they were trying to improve. So they have a history of these types of
engineering projects.

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retroafroman
It was a first generation Honda Insight IIRC. Although it was also extensively
modified if what I heard was correct. It's still in the same building (Quonset
hut) as of 2010.

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Osiris
That may be true. The one I was thinking of was a GM EV1 nicknamed Electric
Blue.

<http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/39888>

~~~
retroafroman
You're right, it's a GM EV1, just kinda reminded me of an Insight.

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Roritharr
Why is something like this always a small side-project of getting a degree,
and not in the focus?

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mechanical_fish
Go to grad school and you can focus on this sort of thing.

Timing is a problem for undergrad research. Big research projects have long
and unpredictable timescales. As Robert Sapolsky once said: "one reason you
can't easily study the long-term effect of stress on _human_ health is that
you can't spend thirty years in graduate school." From the article:

 _More than 130 students worked on the project over 7 years_

Nobody wants to pay tuition for seven years. Instead, undergrads are
encouraged to graduate expeditiously, and then look for some grants to support
them during the ensuing long slog of research.

~~~
retroafroman
This is correct. I was one of the students that helped out incrementally on
the project. There were always several students who spent a lot of
extracurricular hours, while a good portion of the work came from students who
would help out for a semester or two (myself included) when free time was
available. There's a lot to get done in school, focusing on one single project
so much wouldn't lead to a rounded individual.

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humbledrone
Whatever a "rounded individual" is.

~~~
mechanical_fish
In this case it means "someone who is taking advantage of the gigantic amount
of money they're spending on college by actually taking courses in college".

Molding fiberglass and fixing engines are excellent activities, but you don't
have to pay college tuition to do them. You can do them in your garage for a
few thousand dollars in tools and the cost of materials. Or, if you crave that
high-tech social atmosphere, you can go to grad school and have them pay
_you_. (They pay you a pittance, but that pittance is awesome compared to
paying _them_ thousands of dollars per month.)

Mind you, I have nothing against undergraduate research, but you should
_balance_ that against the other parts of being an undergrad. Should you
desire, there will be plenty of time later for a completely-unbalanced focus
on one big project. Indeed, that time -- years two through N of grad school --
will seem to last forever. ;)

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beej1981
I am a proud BYU grad today.

