By Andrew Bray

Chances are, if you drive a Prius, you are pround of the fact that your car gets 45 miles per gallon.  Imagine how you would feel if instead that number was 1250 mpg. With mileage like that, you could drive from LA to Seattle on one gallon of gas, LA to New York on two and a half.  The average american driver could fill-up once per year and still have thousands of miles to spare.

A group of students at UCLA is working to make that figure a reality.  They are the Super Mileage Vehicle Team, a collection of mechanical, aerospace, electrical and computer engineers whose goal is to create the most fuel-efficient internal combustion vehicle possible.  Whereas other clubs on campus hold weekly meetings, the SMV Team has shop hours four days a week, providing students with valuable hands-on experience in automotive design and construction.  At the same time, the project instills in students the importance of collaboration and encourages the practice of environmentally responsible engineering practices.

So where does the number 1250 come from?  That's the mileage needed to be competitive at the Shell Eco Marathon, the Indy 500 of super mileage racing.  The three-day event is held every April in Fontana, California and draws dozens of teams from across the US and Canada.  Teams can choose to power their cars either with conventional fuels like deisel and gasoline or with alternative fuels such as solar and hydrogen.  Unlike a conventional race, victory is decided not by speed or distance, but by mileage.

UCLA's record performance came in 2007, when they placed 8th and posted a mileage of 824 mpg.  This year's design, "The TearDrop", looks to capitalize on its aerodynamic design and superlight construction to break the 1000 mpg mark.  Though the vehicle will be put through extensive safety certification, don't expect air-conditioning or a sound system or even a bank of guages.  In the world of super mileage racing, it's all about minimalism: the "TearDrop" draws inspiration for the chassis and steering from recumbant bicycles.    The SMV team hopes to use the Eco Marathon as an opportunity to hone their design so that they will be ready for their second (and namesake) race: the SAE Supermileage Competition held in Michigan in June.

The SMV Team traces its founding back to 2004, when a mechanical engineering major named Jason McDonald found himself without a way to channel his passion for the environment into a project utilizing his engineering skills.  After jotting down some project ideas that summer, he returned to UCLA and pitched his idea for a supermileage vehicle team to some friends and in short order had 10 people signed up.  The team was approved by the UCLA chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers and by 2006, developed a vehicle to enter in it's first Eco Marathon.

If you would like to help the SMV team reach 1250 mpg, they are currently accepting new members.  For more information, visit http://www.uclaracing.com/smv/SMV/Welcome.html , email smvucla@gmail.com, or just drop by the shop hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-4 pm, Wednesdays 4-6 pm and Fridays 2-4 pm in 2033 Engineering I.