In spring 2010, the student and faculty group assembled to finalize the topic to be
presented. A new idea was quickly created for the project: to build and test a hydrogen fuel cell
based vehicle for urban non-highway commuting. Several issues were raised during the
discussion of preliminary design. What is the typical commuting distance for the average
Knoxville citizen? How fast is the vehicle expected to run? How many people can the vehicle
carry? Then many subsequent questions were brought up: What kind of platform is suitable for
the vehicle? Does a sole hydrogen fuel cell source provide enough energy to meet the expected
distance and power range to meet expected speeds? Lastly, how does one determine that such a
hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle is more applicable than another type of alternative energy
based car?

All of the above issues and questions led to a number of solutions. Due to limited
funding, time constraints, and limited student knowledge and experience, the vehicle is designed
to travel only on secondary roads in an urban setting. This means that one-way commuting
distance is within 15 miles, and that the speed is limited to a maximum of 40 mph. Transporting
one person would sufficiently meet the project requirement. After in depth research, the most
suitable vehicle platform was the BugE, a pre-manufactured platform made by Blue Sky Design.

The BugE can meet or exceed all the requirements depicted above. In addition, the BugE,
as a patented product, has been implemented as a platform on many successful electric or hybrid
cars. Other advantages of the BugE platform include many compatible parts, such as batteries,
motors, controllers, and accessories are available in the market. The potential of the vehicle to
being licensed in Tennessee is optimistic, since the vehicle has been approved by the Oregon
Department of transportation. Also it simply looks aesthetically pleasing.

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