Congratulations to The Ohio State University EcoCAR 3 team, winner of Year One in the four-year competition. The defending champion, The Ohio State University, has continued their winning streak following their previous win as the overall champions of the EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future challenge.
The Ohio State University team is one of the 16 competing North American university teams that gathered in Seattle for several days of judged competition for Year One of the EcoCAR 3 competition, a premier collegiate engineering program that gives students the chance to design, build, and demonstrate cutting-edge, eco-friendly automotive technologies in the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro.
This first year of EcoCAR 3 emphasized the use of math-based design tools and simulation techniques for designing a successful vehicle architecture that reduces energy consumption, well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions and tailpipe emissions.
“Without having the full picture of the attributes of the new 2016 Camaro, the students from The Ohio State University were able to develop a strategy that can turn this high performance vehicle into a cutting-edge eco-friendly alternative,” said Al Oppenheiser, Chevrolet Camaro Vehicle Chief Engineer. “Not only does the 2016 Camaro’s leaner, stiffer platform provide an optimal base vehicle for these students to achieve their powertrain goals, the exterior of the vehicle was designed to specifically enhance efficiency.”
The Ohio State team is made up of approximately 40 students, ranging from undergraduate freshmen to Ph.D. candidates from a diverse background of majors, including mechanical and electrical engineering, to business and public relations. Throughout the competition, The Ohio State University team continuously exceeded expectations during their presentations to industry and government professionals on their mechanical, electrical and control strategies. Judges were also impressed by their efforts in identifying a target market for their vehicle and branding strategy, including a memorable tagline: “Classic.Recharged.”
“This year really lays the foundation of vehicle development, which is a critical step in the process for future success,” said M.J. Yatsko, The Ohio State University engineering manager. “We have already begun vehicle dynamic analysis for next year and are excited to share some of our innovative features we plan to integrate into our vehicle.”
We’d like to also congratulate the Virginia Tech and University of Waterloo teams for coming in second and third place, respectively. It’s been a great first year of EcoCAR 3 and we look forward to seeing all of the incredible work each team will bring to Year Two!
For more information, check out our blog.
