Written by: Elizabeth Fox and Hannah Penberthy
As the EcoCAR EV Challenge kicks off, excitement rushes through The Hokie Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) with the recent delivery of the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ. General Motors, one of the competition’s Headline Sponsors, donated the EcoCAR EV Challenge teams with the LYRIQ. This moment marks the beginning of an exciting journey, as 15 universities begin to take on engineering the next generation of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). HEVT team is thrilled to be part of this historic competition, leveraging the LYRIQ as a canvas for innovation and sustainable advancements.
The first glimpse of the LYRIQ sparked a wave of anticipation and enthusiasm among the team members. Sopan Kane, the Graduate Research Assistant leading the Propulsion Controls and Modeling sub team, expressed his thoughts, saying, “My initial reaction was curiosity about how we connect to LYRIQ’s communication network without actually tearing anything down.”
Andrew Carella, a sophomore in mechanical engineering and a member of the Systems Design and Integration subteam, expressed his excitement about working on the LYRIQ, saying, “I look forward to experiencing the entire process, from CAD design to hands-on integration, and the added bonus of collaborating with like-minded individuals.”
Looking forward, Sopan, Andrew, and all HEVTs members are eager to dive into the project. They both shared that the aspect they are most looking forward to is “being able to work hands-on and finally take the car apart to add new components.”
As the LYRIQ takes center stage in our EcoCAR EV Challenge journey, the possibilities are endless! The thrill of innovation, the pursuit of sustainability, and the teamwork among HEVT’s members have set the stage for an innovative year ahead. Follow HEVTs Facebook and Instagram, at @vt_HEVT, for more updates as the EcoCAR Team at Virginia Tech unravels the full potential of the Cadillac LYRIQ and paves the way for a greener, more sustainable automotive future.
