The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors Co. (GM) today announced The Ohio State University as the winner of this year’s EcoCAR 3 – Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition during an awards ceremony at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. This marks the second stage of a four-year competition set to conclude in 2018. Ohio State has now secured first place for three consecutive years, including the final year of EcoCAR 2.
“EcoCAR 3 supports the Energy Department’s mission to accelerate the development of advanced technologies to reduce vehicle emissions and to increase efficiency so Americans use less petroleum,” said David Friedman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Energy Department. “American energy holds the promise for job creation and a growing economy, and nothing could be more evident than the efforts made by these creative and talented students in the EcoCAR program. These brilliant minds are the pathway of the nation’s automotive industry, and their dedication and results are an indication of the bright future ahead of us.”
The Buckeyes will return to Columbus with $10,000, a Year Two trophy, and significant momentum heading into Year Three. The team earned 880 out of 1,000 overall points, achieving 11 first-place category finishes and placing top five in 30 out of 36 categories. Notably, they were also first to drive their vehicle at the competition.
EcoCAR 3 is part of DOE's Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) series that challenges 16 North American university teams to redesign a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro for reduced environmental impact while maintaining its performance standards. Teams have from 2014-2018 to develop these energy-efficient vehicles.
The finals began at GM’s Desert Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona with rigorous safety, technical, drive quality, and emissions testing followed by scored presentations on consumer appeal, project management, mechanical integration, and innovation topics judged by industry experts in San Diego.
“The second year of the four-year competition added a level of complexity that definitely tested each of the 16 EcoCAR 3 teams in reworking the propulsion system of the 2016 Camaro,” said Al Oppenheiser, Chevrolet Camaro Vehicle Chief Engineer. “Even with these new challenges, the students from Ohio State displayed an exceptional ability to integrate their Series Parallel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) system."
In Year Two, teams collaborated with EcoCAR organizers to secure necessary hardware, software, and industry mentors for integrating hybrid-electric designs into their Camaros without compromising performance or safety features.
“This year’s overall winner, Ohio State demonstrated all-around excellence by using research from last year effectively during Year Two,” said Kristen Wahl, director of Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions at Argonne National Laboratory. “Most impressively, OSU’s Camaro was first to meet all safety protocols despite receiving their vehicle only months ago.”
Virginia Tech finished second while Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University took third place.
Teams have begun integrating energy-efficient powertrains while maintaining safety standards expected from Camaros. Future competition years will focus on refining integrations and engaging markets.
Additional sponsors include MathWorks; National Science Foundation; California Air Resources Board; NXP; Clean Cities; AVL Powertrain Engineering; Robert Bosch LLC; ETAS; PACCAR; dSPACE Inc.; Snap-on Tools; Siemens PLM Software; GKN Driveline; Transportation Research Center Inc.; DENSO; Champlain Cable Corp.; Woodward; Proterra; Ricardo; Mentor Graphics; New Eagle; tesa tape; Vector CANtech Inc.; Delphi Foundation; EcoMotors; Electric Power Research Institute Inc.; A123 Systems; Flextronics.
Sponsors have contributed over $915 million in software, hardware and cash donations over two years.
For more information about EcoCAR 3 visit www.ecocar3.org.
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