EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a Notice of Program Interest for North American colleges and universities with accredited engineering programs to compete for the opportunity to participate in EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge — a new international collegiate vehicle engineering competition — through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
EcoCAR seeks to advance the level of vehicle technology capable of reducing petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while demonstrating the real-world performance of a range of technology options. Schools interested in receiving an RFP describing in detail the requirements for competing for one of the up to 16 available slots in EcoCAR are invited to express their interest.
The EcoCAR Challenge is a three-year competition that builds on the 19-year history of DOE advanced vehicle technology competitions by giving engineering students the chance to design and build advanced vehicles that demonstrate leading-edge automotive technologies, with the goal of minimizing the environmental impact of personal transportation and illustrating pathways to a sustainable transportation future. DOE has again joined General Motors (GM), the Government of Canada (Transport Canada, Natural Resources Canada), and other sponsors for this new competition series, named the EcoCAR Challenge. Argonne National Laboratory, a DOE research and development facility, will organize and operate the EcoCAR Challenge.
Technology Development
The technologies explored in EcoCAR are identical to those being investigated by the automotive industry to meet the demands of improved energy efficiency and dramatic reductions in GHGs, as well as to address California zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) regulations. These technologies include full-function electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell hybrid vehicles. The only fuels approved for use in EcoCAR are E10 ethanol, E85 ethanol, B20 biodiesel, compressed gaseous hydrogen, and the energy carrier electricity.
Teams selected will design and integrate advanced-technology powertrains, lightweight materials, and aerodynamic improvements into a production vehicle. Using this approach, EcoCAR will explore pathways for future vehicles while giving the student participants the knowledge and experience they need to rapidly develop critical engineering skills and become the next generation of leaders in the automotive industry.
EcoCAR is based on a real-world integrated vehicle design and development process. Teams of engineers from the selected schools will develop their vehicles following a modified GM Global Vehicle Development Process (GVDP) for each phase of the three-year competition. By the end of the competition, the sponsors expect fully developed vehicles equivalent to prototypes ready for a production decision. While applying proven methods for engineering successful prototype vehicles, students will learn real-world engineering skills that will make them highly effective in the automotive industry. At the conclusion of each of EcoCAR’s three years, a week-long competition involving all of the participating schools will take place at a GM vehicle proving ground or other appropriate location in North America.
Participation
Teams will receive $10,000 in seed money in Year One, a wide range of powertrain components, a vehicle donated by GM, and technical and mentoring support from the competition sponsors. EcoCAR teams will also have a GM mentor knowledgeable in technologies relevant to the team assigned to assist them during the competition. Substantial funds will also be provided to each university to support a full-time graduate student who will provide the team with leadership and continuity over the three-year program.
Schools will be required to match cash seed money donations from EcoCAR sponsors and to provide class credit for students participating in the competition, release time equal to at least one class per semester for a faculty advisor from the engineering school, and logistical and promotional support for their team. Teams may also be asked to match seed money each year to support a full-time, graduate-level engineering team leader. A signed letter of support will be required from the Dean of the Engineering Department with each proposal. If accepted into EcoCAR, each school will be required to sign an annual Good Faith Agreement reaffirming the school's full support of their team and explicitly stating its willingness to participate in all EcoCAR activities with at least one faculty advisor in attendance.
Competing Teams
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL) - University Website - Team Website
Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA) - University Website - Team Website
Howard University (Washington, D.C.) - University Website - Team Website
Michigan Technological University (Houghton, MI) - University Website - Team Website
Mississippi State University (Starkville, MS) - University Website - Team Website
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO) - University Website - Team Website
North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC) - University Website - Team Website
Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) - University Website - Team Website
Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA) - University Website - Team Website
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, IN) - University Website - Team Website
Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX) - University Website - Team Website
University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada) - University Website - Team Website
University of Victoria (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) - University Website - Team Website
University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada) - University Website - Team Website
University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI) - University Website - Team Website
West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV) - University Website - Team Website
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