What: Drexel University is one of two colleges whose students will get to show American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) representatives and passers-by how their human-electric hybrid vehicle works.The undergraduate students’ demonstration will come a day after the students ride the vehicle 100-plus miles to New York. It will help kick off NYC Summer Streets, a “greening” initiative to encourage New Yorkers to use sustainable forms of transportation.Named for Drexel’s dragon mascot and developed by students, the DragonWagon is a low-cost, emissions-free alternative to the automobile designed for use in cities. It utilizes the power of two passengers and an electric motor to accelerate at a speed comparable with traditional vehicles and can maintain a speed of 35 mph. The 10-foot-long vehicle features a manual instantaneous throttle to fire up the motor while riding uphill and after stops.The DragonWagon was a prizewinner at ASME’s Human Powered Vehicle Challenge East in April.Visuals: • Drexel students demonstrating how the DragonWagon combines the power of humans and a motor to create a viable form of urban travel • Students joining tens of thousands of New Yorkers in a “part bike tour, part block party,” as described by the city’s Department of TransportationWhen: Saturday, Aug. 9, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.Where: Drexel students will demonstrate the DragonWagon at 3 Park Ave., at 34th StreetNews media contact: Brian Rossiter, Drexel News Bureau 215-895-2705, 267-228-5599 (cell) or brian.rossiter@drexel.edu
