Penn State to compete in three-year EcoCAR challenge

This fall, a new team of Penn State graduate and undergraduate students will stand on the shoulders of the high marks Penn State obtained at the Challenge X advanced vehicle competition that concluded on Wednesday (May 21). Organizers announced Wednesday the roster of university applicants that have been accepted into the next generation of competition, a three-year contest known as EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge. In that competition, Penn State and 16 other teams from North American universities will reengineer a Saturn Vue.

"We're very excited to be participating," said Penn State faculty adviser Gary Neal. "We've got great momentum going into this inaugural year of EcoCAR. We're looking to build on the valuable lessons that we've learned through our participation in the previous Challenge X competition." The Penn State team's vehicle research activities are based at the Hybrid and Hydrogen Vehicle Research Laboratory at the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute.

"EcoCAR represents a very unique opportunity for enterprising sophomore, junior and senior level students majoring in electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as for graduate students," Neal added.

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. The competition builds on the 19-year history of U.S. Department of Energy 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, Natural Resources Canada and other sponsors for the new competition series. Argonne National Laboratory, a DOE research and development facility, will organize and operate the EcoCAR Challenge.

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 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.

Participating teams 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. The teams of engineers will develop their vehicles following a modified GM Global Vehicle Development Process 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. 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 location in North America.

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. Each university will also receive funds to support a full-time graduate student who will provide the team with leadership and continuity over the three-year program. Participating schools match cash seed money donations from EcoCAR sponsors and provide class credit for students participating in the competition, a faculty adviser and logistical and promotional support for their team.

The following teams have been selected to compete in the EcoCAR competition: Penn State; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Georgia Tech; Howard University; Michigan Technological University; Mississippi State University; Missouri University of Science and Technology; North Carolina State University; Ohio State University; Ontario Institute of Technology; Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Texas Tech University; University of Victoria; University of Waterloo; University of Wisconsin; Virginia Tech; and West Virginia University.