Team Description

The MIT Electric Vehicle Team (EVT) is a group of over 30 active undergraduate and graduate students at MIT who are dedicated to the research, design, and operation of electric vehicles (EVs). The team has completed one EV conversion and started a second conversion in June 2009. In addition, the team is active in education and community outreach. EVT is supported by the Sloan Automotive Laboratory, Electrochemical Energy Laboratory, and Edgerton Center at MIT. During the school year, the team meets every Monday night at 8:00PM in N51-150. Work times are throughout the week.

Mission

The mission of EVT is to:

• demonstrate and research electric vehicle technologies,
• provide project-based educational opportunities for MIT students, and
• increase public awareness of electric and other advanced vehicle technologies.

Summer Team

Manyu Abelani, Adrian Adames, Breanna Berry, Randall Briggs, Dianna Cowern, Eli Davis, George Erickson, Erick Fuentes, Steven Lam, Pete Lamb, Lennon Rodgers

Currently Active Members

Thomas Annicq, Dan Bogard, Bryan Beller, Charles Bernstein, Shane Colton, Kevin Cedrone, Devin Dee, Radu Gogoana, Valerie Karplus, Dan Kelly, Michelle Kwak, Dan Lauber, Tyler Liechty, Saul Lopez, Mike Nawrot, Prosper Nyovanie, Austin Oehlerking, Kevin Plumer, Scott Sundvor, Eric Winokur, Praveen Yajman, Stephen Zoepf

EVT Alums

Irene Berry, Fernando deSisternes, Gandolf Finke, Lars Imsdahl, Paul Karplus, Mike Khusid, Jeff McAulay, Florian Naegele,

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Team Member Profiles

Adrian Adames

Adrian is a local from Lawrence, Massachusetts. He graduated in June of this year with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His main focus over summer will be the elEVen, aiming first to program and wire the motor controller. He will then design an efficient, thermally stable cooling system for the batteries. And of course someone must make the elEVen ride smooth and feel like a practical car. With this goal in mind, he will street-legalize the elEVen. Adrian hopes for the opportunity to make a big contribution to this group. He enjoys engineering, cars, and batteries and is eager for exposure to battery technology and the mechanics and design of cars. His other interests include tinkering and basketball. Little known fact about Adrian: he can't snap his fingers.

Abhimanyu (Manyu) Belani

Manyu is a rising sophomore from Palo Alto, California. He is studying Mech E with a focus in Ocean Engineering. Over the summer, he will be working on EMoto and on converting EVT's newest electric motorcycle eSuperbike. He will be designing a streamlined mount for the battery packs on the eSuperbike among other mechanical projects. Manyu will be tackling rapid battery recharging issues such as communicating with the battery management system on A123 battery modules. In his own words, his tasks will include "following Lennon around and doing whatever he tells me to do." In his spare time (of which there is little) Manyu enjoys longboarding, playing pool, and archery. Little Known Fact about Manyu: he can pilot a coastguard cutter.

Breanna Berry

Breanna is a class of 2012 mechanical engineer from San Diego, California. As the EVT secretary, she has been contributing to the team for over a year. She is in charge of organizing meetings, scheduling, and maintaining good communication throughout the group. Breanna is eager to learn advanced machining techniques over the summer, network with EVT benefactors, and become more involved in eMoto, which she feels is one of the most exciting EVT projects. As a smaller compact entity, she envisions eMoto as the type of product "everyone could have." Along with her fascination for electric vehicles, Breanna likes anime, trying new restaurants, and wakeboarding. Little Known Fact about Breanna: she plans to get her pilot's license someday.

Randall Briggs

Randall is a 2012 mechanical engineer and physicist from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over summer, he'll be working on eSuperbike focusing on two main goals: (1) to size and choose the optimal motor and (2) to model energy requirements for the bike, keeping in mind the team's long term goal of racing in the Isle of Man TT. He'll be analyzing all energy optimization factors including the coefficient of drag and inclines on the track. He feels rapid recharge is one of the final hurdles to mass production of EVs and is excited about the idea of being able to rapid recharge in < 10 mins. As a former boyscout, Randall also enjoys hiking, and the outdoors. Little Known Fact about Randall: he worked at a Co-op over the last two years on high speed centrifuges for biotech research.

Dianna Cowern

Dianna is a rising senior from Kaua'i, Hawai'i. She is studying physics with a focus in electrical engineering. Over the summer, she'll be applying her circuits experience on the 12V system in the elEVen, helping to hook up the lights, air conditioning, and the gear shift being sure to preserve all the comforts of a luxury vehicle. In addition to the cars, she will also be contributing to communications and web design. She is the webmaster in charge of blogging and any web updates. Though she joined EVT with little MechE experience, she aims to be a proficient welder and machinist by the end of the summer. Dianna enjoys anything active including surfing, tennis, and hula dance. Little Known Fact about Dianna: she drove tractors on a tree farm one summer.

Eli Davis

Eli is a rising junior from Kalamazoo, Michigan with plans of graduating in Mechanical Engineering. Over the summer, his tasks include designing and fabricating mechanical components for the Porsche and the elEVen. Such components will be used for structural protection, suspension, the elEVen cooling system, and a standardized charging adapter to be placed inside the fuel tank's current filler flap. Before starting MIT, Eli gained practical machining skills from his father who taught an autoshop class and by working in a woodshop. He is eager to render the elEVen functional, drive the Porsche, and build key parts for use throughout the elEVen. His other hobbies include videogames and ultimate frisbee. Little Known Fact about Eli: he is a Rock Band drumming master.

Erick Fuentes

Erick Fuentes is a rising senior from Silver Spring, Maryland. His pursuit of a degree in aerospace engineering has provided him with unique interdisciplinary skills that will be beneficial to the EVT effort. Before staring his summer projects, Erick was most interested in the controls and aerodynamics of cars. Fortunately for him, these issues remain unresolved in the elEVen. With respect to aerodynamics, he will be adding an underbody panel and possibly modifying the existing body panels, aiming to reduce the drag coefficient. He will also optimize efficiency through motor controls, analyzing the necessary torque to produce the desired acceleration. Outside of research, he is on the MIT Crew team. Little Known Fact about Erick: he sings in the shower.

Pete Lamb

Pete, 2011, is studying Mech E. with ocean engineering. Having worked on the project since spring of '09, he is the "de facto porsche guy." This summer, he is working with the team through support from the MIT Gordon Leadership Program. He'll focus mainly on mechanical projects, welding and constructing a skid plate, and helping out wherever his strength and machining skills are needed. Though he'll continue to finalize tasks on the Porsche, the elEVen has larger issues such as battery cooling that will demand most of his attention. Pete describes himself as a "car guy" who has fostered a general interest in cars through maintenance of his '85 blazer. When not dreaming about automobiles, Pete rows on the crew team, wrestles, and plays football. Little Known Fact about Pete: he has worked in a seafood warehouse.

Steven Lam

Steven is a mechanical engineer from Brooklyn, New York in the class of 2012. He joined EVT with previous design and engineering experience from working with the MIT Vehicle Design Summit last year. Eager to make an impact on the electric vehicle industry, he will be working on the elEVen motor controller and on a new sump for liquid drainage of the cooling system. Using his robotics experience from high school, he'll be wiring the electronics including the touch screen and permanent switch panels. Steven is excited about quick charge technology and is interested in testing and implementing rapid recharge by the end of the summer. He is also enjoys ultimate frisbee, mountain biking, and cooking. Little Known Fact about Steven: he is an accomplished ballroom dancer.

Lennon Rodgers

Hailing all the way from Sterling, Illinois, Lennon is the sole PhD student on the summer team. He received his bachelor's from the University of Illinois and a masters in mechanical engineering from MIT. Lennon is the mastermind behind the EVT motorcycle projects. He came to the team with ample experience, a strong drive, and personal motives; after breathing California's polluted air he decided to build his own electric motorcycle - eMoto. During this summer, Lennon will focus on the eSuperbike project, testing rapid charging methods through battery cell testing using the recently-built rapid charger. Along with motorcycles, Lennon enjoys running, bicycling, and traveling. Little Known Fact about Lennon: he worked on large ground-based telescopes while working at JPL and Caltech.