Basic Utility Vehicles (BUVs) are rugged, simple vehicles that can accommodate four passengers. They are designed for warm climates, slow speeds (under 25 mph), and rural, unpaved roads. BUVs provide mobility, freedom, and economic hope to people in rural areas of developing countries. They promote trade and sustainable development by enabling micro-business growth and trade at a grassroots level.

For this project we are to design and build a working prototype of a BUV by May of 2000, a which time, our design and prototype will be entered in a national collegiate competition, sponsored by the Institute for Affordable Transportation.

Their mission statement is as follows:

By 2020, Basic Utility Vehicles (BUVs) will be facilitating trade and sustainable development in every developing country in the world. BUVs will be a key weapon in winning the war on poverty and enabling micro-business growth. These businesses will provide steady income, the dignity of work, and a means to escape poverty.

The winning design team will then go on to have their design used for mass production beginning in 2003. For this project we will complete the following:

· Design and build a working prototype

In third world countries, the cost of transportation is exorbitant. The Institute for Affordable Transportation (IAT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the world with transportation that is both affordable and reliable. Their website is http://www.drivebuv.org/. As Engineers in the most prosperous country in the world, we feel it is our duty to share our expertise with the underprivileged peoples of the world. The problem identified by the IAT is that of transportation for the families and workers in the third world. Most families in this type of situation cannot afford the cost of a new automobile, and the older used cars available to them are extremely unreliable. Families depend on being able to get out of the rural environment to sell good or services where there are needs for them. So, the issue then is to provide a means of transportation that will be reliable and affordable. The IAV is sponsoring a global competition to design and build a prototype of a basic utility vehicle.