On October 26, the West Virginia University (WVU) EcoCAR team showed off its new Cadillac LYRIQ at its second annual Track-or-Treat, organized in collaboration with the WVU Statler College of Engineering and the WVU Women’s Basketball team.
The 2023 Track-or-Treat was an extremely successful event, attracting over 1,700 attendees of all ages, surpassing last year’s attendance count of 1,500. Attendees began to line up for the event over an hour prior to the listed start time. WVU EcoCAR was able to display its Chevrolet Blazer from the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge and the newly delivered EcoCAR EV Challenge Cadillac LYRIQ at the event.
The event invites youth in the greater Morgantown area to trick-or-treat in a safe, condensed environment at Mountaineer Track, where the WVU Track and Field team hosts events and practices. WVU EcoCAR is familiar with this area, as it is next to the area where EcoCAR conducts some of its testing. Approximately 100 student organizations attended the event, decorating tables and bringing candy for the excited attendees.
Students from the WVU EcoCAR team participated in handing out candy to attendees and answering questions about the vehicles and Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTCs). Patrons were encouraged to look at the interiors of each car, including under the hoods and in the trunks. EcoCAR students were able to tell patrons about how the Chevrolet Blazer was previously a gas vehicle that was made a hybrid and enhanced with autonomous driving functions. Patrons were fascinated to learn more about how the Cadillac LYRIQ will be made an all-wheel drive vehicle from a rear-wheel drive, and be equipped with technology to read smart intersection signals when driving autonomously.
Students were able to explain to community members the different goals that the team will meet not only throughout Year 2, but the entirety of the EcoCAR EV Challenge series. It has been a longstanding goal of WVU EcoCAR to spark conversations about sustainability in STEM to youth audiences and community members in West Virginia. The hope is to inspire youth audiences to pursue STEM interests and to show residents of West Virginia, a state that has relied on the coal industry for decades, the different opportunities surrounding electric vehicles by introducing them to AVTCs and the program goals.
Community members were encouraged to follow WVU EcoCAR’s social media accounts to stay up to date with the progress of the program and the vehicle development. The team looks forward to continuing to share its progress and initiatives through social media platforms, showcasing the opportunities for positive change in the adoption of electric vehicle technologies throughout West Virginia.
