MIT gathering looks to the future
“I’m with you, but where are we?’’
That’s long been one of my favorite wisecracks, especially when driving on back roads and enjoying the sensation of being lost—as if that’s possible in this age of terrific navigation systems and phone-based GPS apps.
However, that quip also is a way of describing the overall place we’re at in terms of automotive technology.
Together (that’s the “I’m with you’’ part), we’re driving the most advanced vehicles in history.
But “where are we?’’ means we’re at a crossroads of sorts, looking at major challenges to get more alternative-fuel vehicles on the road and meet ever stricter fuel economy mandates.
All of this brings us to a discussion of the current state of vehicle technology and the challenges ahead. It happens when MIT and the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) hold their 5th annual technology conference May 21 at MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge.
Today’s cars take the spotlight in NEMPA’s annual gathering and awards presentation in the evening.
Ford’s new F-150 will receive the “Winter Vehicle of New England’’ award with Chris Brewer, chief program engineer for the pickup, on hand to accept.
It will be a homecoming for Brewer, who holds an engineering degree from MIT as well as a business degree from the Wharton School. “It means I wear the technical hat as well as the financial one,’’ he says. “It can be both the best and worst of both worlds in making design decisions.’’
In this case, it means he was part of designing the aluminum F-150, a radical change that was being designed in 2008-9 during the depths of the economic depression that drastically cut new-car sales.
“Aluminum makes the truck better all around,’’ he says. “Our real-world testers proved the military-grade aluminum would hold up. It also helps both summer and winter. The truck is lighter and better balanced front-and-rear, giving the opportunity for better traction. Aluminum is an enabler. It allows us to have a greater payload, more towing capability, better fuel economy, and outstanding performance with smaller motors.’’
Brewer is thrilled to be coming back to MIT.
“It was a great place for me. I thought I was a sharp kid growing up in Temple, TX, but found I was below average at MIT. It was a great experience to learn how many bright people were there and how many projects you’d get involved in.’’
He was an undergrad during two of the MIT student body’s all-time pranks—reassembling an MIT police car atop the school’s dome and having a weather balloon pop out of the Harvard Stadium football field during the Harvard-Yale game.
Brewer says he wasn’t involved in either prank but does claim a lifelong love of pickup trucks. “When we were growing up, every kid aspired to own a pickup. Now I get to work on the best-selling one.’’
His previous post was in England, where he worked on the global Transit van that replaced the E-Series (Econoline) vans. Both the E- and F-Series had terrific sales months in April.
Tomorrow’s cars—in the sense of the road ahead for green vehicle technologies—will be the topic in the afternoon’s panel discussion moderated by John Bozzella, president of the Association of Global Automakers, an industry and lobbying group representing most of the world’s major vehicle manufacturers.
Among the participants will be Stephen B. Russell, alternative transportation program coordinator, Massachusetts Clean Cities Coalition, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).
He joins panelists from automakers (GM, Toyota); utilities; government (international, US, regional, state); research (MIT); and independent clean-air policy advocates.
“I’ll be promoting our EV [electric vehicle] rebate program,’’ says Russell, referring to the state program—www.more-ev.org—that offers rebates for vehicles purchased after June 18, 2014.
“We [Massachusetts] signed a memorandum of understanding with seven other states, committing ourselves to getting 3 million EVs on the road by 2025,’’ says Russell.
The Massachusetts share of that number is 300,000. “It’s a real reach,’’ says Russell, “but you have to have an ambitious goal. We can’t get there [clean air] without it.’’
“We’ve got more than 800 EVs out there in Massachusetts now,’’ says Dan Burgess, DOER deputy commissioner. “You’d think they’d be clustered around Greater Boston, but they’re spread throughout the state.’’
Plans are to install 20 fast chargers for EVs at Department of Transportation service centers [rest stops] on the Massachusetts Turnpike and Cape Cod.
“For example, they’ll put an 80 percent charge in a Leaf in 15 to 20 minutes,’’ says Russell. “To protect the batteries, that’s the max you can put in with a fast charger [440 or 660 volts]. But it means EV drivers can cross the state without range worries.’’
The Massachusetts program also includes rebates and incentives for cities, towns, and state agencies for both vehicles and charging stations.
“You need 60-amp service for a home charger that needs a 220-volt outlet similar to an electric range or clothes dryer,’’ says Russell. “The units sell in the $300 to $400 range, and it would be anywhere from another $200 to $1,000 for the electrical hookup. Those units can take an EV from a 30 percent charge to fully charged in several hours or 4 to 5 hours if the battery is down to zero. Compare that to 1 to 15 hours on a 100-volt circuit.’’
The day also will pay homage to the past, with a lifetime achievement award to automotive and sports journalism pioneer and doyen Denise McCluggage who died suddenly on May 7. She’d be happy to have friend and award-winning auto journalist Ken Gross accepting for her.
McCluggage was a racing driver who also had a feel for business, founding a newsletter (Competition Press) that eventually evolved into Autoweek magazine. She had enough of a national following by 1959 to be a guest on the TV show “To Tell the Truth.’’
More recently, as a Vermonter, she reversed the tradition of having a dog named Rover by having a Rover with the license plate DOG, a friend recalled.
In what’s become another tradition of the evening, the folks at Acton-based Wheels TV will make their annual POV (previously owned vehicle) award. This year, it’s going to the third generation (2006-12) Toyota RAV4.
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