AISI summer interns design steel-based concept cars: a glass boat and a Volvo EV

College students from the University of Michigan and the College for Creative Studies have been working together since May to design three concept cars "that are safe, affordable, fuel efficient and environmentally responsible", according to a release from the American Iron and Steel Institute. The AISI hosts the summer-long project in Detroit. This year was the 18th annual internship, and the challenge was for the students to design vehicles for three specific groups: Generation Y, Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation.

The most green of the concepts is the Volvo Stal Concept, a sports car designed by Carrie Fodor and engineered by Aditya Rajderkar. The Stal (what kind of name is that for a car?) is a lightweight EV that "accommodates the environmentally conscious Generation X consumer". The model is safe, too, with laser-welded blanks to give the body and door panels more strength.

The other two vehicles, called Land Rover Carver and Cadillac Entourage, focus more on using steel in cool ways than in being green. The Entourage, for example, has a strong frame to allow for a glass roof and the vehicle is shaped a little like a boat. The models were unveiled yesterday and will be showcased at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January.

[Source: American Iron and Steel Institute]