EcoCAR EV Challenge
The EcoCAR EV Challenge is the latest Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) headline sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), General Motors (GM), and MathWorks, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory. The EcoCAR EV Challenge is a four-year collegiate automotive engineering competition, providing an unparalleled, hands-on educational experience that transforms the traditional classroom environment into a hub of automotive innovation.
This series challenges 15 North American universities to engineer a next generation battery electric vehicle (BEV), a 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ donated by GM, that utilizes automation and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity to implement energy efficient and customer-pleasing features, while meeting the decarbonization needs of the automotive industry. EcoCAR teams will experience a hands-on, real-world environment that exposes students to industry-grade components, tools, and methods, and connects students with subject matter experts (SME) and mentors. The four-year series will reflect industry best practices with expanded focus on model-based design, vehicle connectivity, and automated controls development.
Participating universities will build teams with multi-disciplinary skill sets, such as mechanical, electrical, computer and software engineering, communications, and project management to emulate the real-world experience of working in the automotive industry. EcoCAR will include a major focus on equity in mobility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in STEM to help build clean energy mobility solutions and opportunities for all. Having a diverse team spanning these skills will allow a team to be successful in the competition and prepare more students for careers in the mobility sector.
The universities selected to participate in the EcoCAR EV Challenge are:
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University/ Bethune-Cookman University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- McMaster University – CAN
- Mississippi State University
- Ohio State University/Wilberforce University
- University of Alabama
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Riverside
- University of Texas, Austin
- University of Waterloo – CAN
- Virginia Tech
- West Virginia University
EcoCAR builds upon a proud 34-year history of DOE AVTCs and exemplify the power of government/industry partnerships in addressing our nation’s toughest energy and mobility challenges and providing invaluable practical skills to promising young minds ready to enter the workforce. More than 1,000 students will participate each year, gaining real-world experience solving complex engineering challenges and building teamwork and leadership skills that they will take with them into their future careers.
More information about the EcoCAR EV Challenge is available at avtcseries.org. Stay tuned as the latest AVTC series kicks off this fall!
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