Competition Description

Pacific Motors: Thrive in the Elements!

Your Mission

Design a vehicle to inspire the drivers of the Pacific Northwest to “Thrive in the Elements”.  With Earth, wind, fire and water as your guide design for an atmosphere of beautiful extremes.
 
The type of vehicle is not specified, though it must fit within a specified volume (see Ignition Kit & Deliverables).
 
You may design a city vehicle inspired by the elements, or a vehicle made to allow your driver to better experience the elements.  It is up to you.  Explore the theme “Thrive in the Elements”, and design for the Pacific Northwest.
 
Introduction to the Pacific Northwest

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest, a land of varied landscape, atmosphere and potential.  The area of focus extends as far north as British Columbia, as far East as the Rocky Mountains, and as far south as the northern border of California.  The Pacific Ocean provides a western border.  This area includes major cities like Vancouver, host to the 2010 Olympic games, Seattle Washington, home of Kurt Cobain and grunge rock, Portland Oregon, a capital of sustainability and recycling, and many others. The landscape and impact of the elements in this region are dramatically varied and exciting!

 

In the west you have the wet, dense Olympic Rainforest that flourishes in the constant dewdrops from the Pacific Ocean, while eastern Washington is a dry semi-desert that receives little rain.  The Cascade Mountains, which separate the east from the west, block clouds from moving east, so there is little rain west of the mountains.  The Cascades also absorb most of the moisture before it can make it over the mountain range.  In these mountains you will find explosive volcanic potential, and winding rivers hiding corridors of extreme high wind.  And then, in other areas you will find farmland and orchards as peaceful as they come. 

Introduction to Your Driver

This energetic environment has attracted energetic people.  Many residents of the Pacific Northwest reside there specifically to enjoy the beautiful wilderness, mountains, lakes, rivers and ocean.  For this reason, many athletic companies have built their headquarters in the Pacific Northwest: Nike, Adidas and Columbia Sportswear to name a few.
 
Residents have actively sought to protect the land they enjoy, and have incorporated some of the best recycling programs in the country.  If the people of the Pacific Northwest have their way, the land will remain beautiful and available forever.  While they desire a vehicle for multiple purposes, the vehicle should not detract from the natural surroundings.  It should cause little to no environmental impact.  Whenever possible it should be made of recycled and/or recyclable materials, and it should use commonly available alternative fuel sources. 
 
But, as our Local Motors community member BentleyBoy points out, “Being green should not get in the way of a high level of performance and activity.  Use biodiesel and similar "responsible" powertrains but package them in something that reflects a highly athletic nature.”  In other words, don’t skimp on power, and 4WD is a necessity.
 
Drivers here want to “Thrive in the Elements” in a car that meets their needs, as well as their desires.
 
What else does your customer need?  Review the competition deliverables, Engineering Requirements, and Engineering Guidelines to find out.
 
What else does your customer want?  Here’s BentleyBoy’s request, “Packaging, even though capacity for 3-6 passengers + gear is needed, should not be huge in the manner of a Ford F150 or Chevy Suburban.  The balancing act here should be to keep the package still somehow compact, especially as the progressive NW consumer that would most likely be buying a NW-spec LM vehicle will be spending lots of time navigating the urban landscape of cities like Portland and Seattle.  (It should be noted that compact cars like Mini Coopers are quite popular in these metropolitan hubs of the NW.)  An easily adaptive interior (fold -down seats, etc.) with external hardpoints/racks for sporting gear would suffice well to offer diversity while preserving compactness.

Also, include an easy way to easily transform from closed to open air driving would be very welcome.  The NW is notorious for its very rainy weather, but when we do get the occasional "sun break" (sometimes referred to as "summer" or "finally, the weatherman was wrong") we take 200% advantage of it!”

Plus, check in on the LM:Life blog throughout the week to view interviews with residents and car lovers in this region.

The Elements: Inspiration in Words & Pictures

Earth

The element of earth is the most varied element of this region.  With an abundance of fertile land many people in this region make a living through agriculture.  Crops of apples, potatoes, wheat and other grains are grown here.  You will also see massive forests of trees, and some are used for paper and lumber.
 
The Northwest is known for responsible and recreational use of the land.  The mountains are perfect for hiking, climbing, and mountain biking in the spring, summer and fall. And come winter, these mountains transform into world-class ski resorts, like Mt. Hood and Mt. Baker.
 
The rainforests of this region are home to some of the oldest and largest trees in the country. Cycling and hiking these forests is a real passion for many.

 

 

And on the other extreme, the desert regions lend themselves well to hunting, off-roading, and dirt biking.  As BentleyBoy points out, the Pacific Northwest is “Mean and Green”, “The NW is of course extremely environmentally conscious, but at the same time there is a thriving road and off-road performance audience...lots of European and Japanese imports/exotics as well as rally cars/off-road trucks on lifts, etc.”

 

 

Even in the cities, the element of earth is greatly protected: In Spokane Washington for example, there are nearly 80 parks throughout the city! And most of them are quite sizable!

 

 

Wind

The power of wind in this region will literally blow you away.  Areas like the Columbia River Gorge have become world-renowned wind and kite surfing locations. On stormy days however, the Gorge can become fatal with wind speeds recorded upwards of 105mph (170km/h).

 

On land paragliding, hang gliding, and hot air ballooning are also very popular. Lake Chelan, for example, is one of the premier hang gliding spots in the world. Without the slight breezes and predictable currents of this region, these activities would be far more difficult. When the surfers, sailors, and gliders have to go back to work, they may be using electricity generated by the same wind they enjoyed over the weekend. Wind energy is a growing sector in this region. In addition to this, Wind Turbines also power water pumps for irrigation on the farms.

 

Fire

The Pacific Northwest is home the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which is a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire and includes over 160 active volcanoes. One of the more active volcanoes in the pacific ring of fire, Mt. St. Helens, erupted in'80 and the eruption was so powerful that half of the mountain was blown out.
 
This eruption covered much of the Northwest in thick ash, and so much ash was released into the air that it circled the world in two weeks. While the'80 explosion was the most recent massive eruption, the region is extremely active with seismic and volcanic activity.

 

A significant portion of the region is covered in volcanic rock from massive lava flows mostly basalt, which is black and full of holes. However other volcanic rock, such as obsidian, and pumice can be found in this region as well.

 

 

Water

The Pacific Ocean coastline, the lakes, the aquifers, the Columbia and Snake rivers. These are the lifelines of the Pacific Northwest. The power of water has shaped the region, cutting through rock creating canyons and river valleys; and the water has shaped the lives of the citizens who live here, giving them renewable energy and a place to repose.
 
While the Pacific Northwest and cities like Seattle are known for incredibly rainy seasons, the citizens have learned how to embrace this element, and make it work for them.  Most of the region gets its electricity from clean, renewable hydroelectric power.  Much comes from the Grand Coulee dam, which is the 5th largest hydroelectric dam in the world! It dams the Columbia River, the largest river in this region of the United States.  The Columbia River is a source of energy, gives farmers the water they need to irrigate their fields, and it is also used for shipping goods by boat.  The element of water has been put to work!

 

With such a “wet” reputation, you might think the entire Pacific Northwest is rainy; but east of the Cascade Mountains it is quite dry.  Since these tall mountains block the moisture of the Pacific Ocean from traveling east, you will find a much different landscape than that of the dewy coast.  The plant life is a bit browner, and smaller.  However, despite the lack of precipitation, this area still cradles lakes and aquifers designed by glacial activity many thousands of years ago. Water sports are popular in this region, including water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, kayaking, rafting and canoeing. It is a common site to see a vehicle with a kayak, or raft on the roof, or towing a boat in these areas.

 

 

Want to learn more?

Check on the LM:Life blog for regular updates, interviews and sources of inspiration!