Watt's up with the electric dune buggy?

Take one 1970 Volkswagen Beetle. Peel off its skin, throw out its motor, get rid of everything except the transmission, and what do you have? Perhaps the only student senior project of its kind anywhere in the world.

What began life as a gaso-line-powered Volkswagen has risen like a mechanical Phoe-nix to become a quiet, emission-free electric dune buggy. Its creators are Tommy Niles ('01) of Manassas and Aaron Vento ('01) of Dale City. Niles, who graduated in May, and Vento, who will graduate in December, initiated the planning and design process in 2000 and stripped down the Volkswagen last September.

"I got the idea last year on a field trip to the JMU Alternative Fuels Lab," Niles says. "Seeing the different kinds of alternative-fuel vehicles piqued my interest in creating one for my senior project."

Vento, Niles' roommate at the time, quickly saw the potential in his friend's idea and came in on the project at once. "I also liked the concept of doing this as a senior project," he says. "Why not do something that we were interested in and that might have some practical applications?"

The project demanded eliminating everything not compatible with operating an electric-powered dune buggy. The gasoline engine went. The framework that supported the Volkswagen's skin was dismantled. The seats and wheels were removed. When Niles and Vento were finished, the only thing left of the popular economy car was a flat piece of metal.

Working with Randy Poag, coordinator of JMU's Alternative Fuel Vehicle program, Niles and Vento studied electric motors, batteries, controllers and high voltage electrical systems. They took a crash course in body design and welding and learned how complicated technical systems can be reduced to smaller, more manageable parts and then reassembled.

But why an electric dune buggy? Is there really a need for one beyond the academic demands of a senior project? Niles and Vento's response is to point out that significant environmental damage is caused by gasoline-powered off-road vehicles. With engines roaring, they careen through virgin country tearing up the landscape, frightening wildlife and fouling the air with smoke and carbon monoxide.

"We see the electric dune buggy as an alternative to all that," Niles says. "It's quiet, it's clean, it's environmentally responsible. And it's fun."

The duo's buggy is powered by an electric motor using six 12-volt batteries and has reached speeds of more than 45 miles per hour. It can climb rocks, plow its way through ditches and scale embankments.

James Winebrake, integrated science and technology professor, says that Niles' and Vento's creation will remain at JMU. Educationally, he says, it will be great for "show-and-tell" sessions because all the components are visible. Future students interested in building another electric vehicle may disassemble and reassemble the dune-buggy as a training exercise.

And will it ever be used for its intended purpose? "Oh yes," says Winebrake. "We intend to have some fun with it as well."

By Charles Culbertson