The EcoCAR Mobility Challenge series has come to an end as Georgia Institute of Technology has been named The EcoCAR Mobility Challenge Year Four champion.
During the competition’s series finale, EcoCAR students were put in the driver’s seat, transforming their vehicles from design concept into reality, building an energy efficient, connected and semi-automated vehicle.
According to Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, “EcoCAR exemplifies DOE’s commitment to building a diverse, clean energy talent pipeline.” She added, “Through programs like this one, we will strengthen our domestic manufacturing and our ability to compete globally, as we prepare this next generation of innovators.”
To kick off the competition, teams shipped their vehicles to General Motors’ Desert Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona to send them through a series of vehicle tests. After a thorough technical inspection, vehicles performed in on-road safety evaluation, acceleration, drive quality, energy consumption, and the connected mobility challenge.
To culminate the week, teams traveled nearly 175 miles across the Arizona desert for the Over the Road Event, demonstrating their vehicle’s thermal management, range, and overall durability, ending at the Phoenix Raceway.
In Week 2, teams showed their vehicles off to the consumer appeal judges, as well as to local 7th and 8th graders from Desert Oasis Elementary School. Teams wrapped up the week with six scored presentations on communication, project management, propulsion systems integration, CAVs, HMI, and powertrain controls and modeling.
“We continue to be impressed by the remarkable efforts and achievements of the EcoCAR students across the engineering, project management, business and communications disciplines,” said Dan Nicholson, Vice President Global Electrification, Controls, SW & Electronics at GM. “Let’s not only celebrate this years’ winners, but all of the students for the hard work and dedication they have put into their Blazers over these last four years. These students are remarkably talented and will benefit the workforce in years to come.”
In addition, EcoCAR Faculty were honored at the annual Faculty Dinner Sponsored by NXP, teams celebrated their accomplishments at the PACCAR Fun Night and all teams and sponsors gathered at the Sponsor Social Networking and Recruiting Event.
“This competition brought unprecedented challenges for the students, which further showcased their talent, creativity and ability to innovate we are proud to be part of a partnership that makes this possible,” said Lauren Tabolinsky, academic program manager, MathWorks. “The hard work and dedication during the program are a testament to what the next generation of mobility talent has to offer the industry.”
Take a look back at the Year 4 Competition:
View all photos from the Year 4 Competition HERE
View the full list of winners HERE
