Over this past weekend, several EcoCAR 2 teams traveled to East Liberty, Ohio for the beginning of the March Emissions Testing Event. Held at the Transportation Research Center from March 8th to March 19th, EcoCAR 2 teams will be offered the opportunity to gather high-quality test data from their vehicles during eight hours of emissions and fuel economy testing in a controlled laboratory environment. Additional emissions and fuel economy testing will take place at Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Powertrain Research Facility from March 25th to March 29th.
Kevin Stutenberg, Argonne employee and former AVTC alumnus, runs baseline dyno testing on the Chevrolet MalibuDuring the first stage of testing, the Virginia Tech, Cal State-Los Angeles, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University and Wayne State University teams will have their shot at dynamometer testing. A chassis dynamometer offers the ability to virtually drive a vehicle under a multitude of different scenarios or ‘drive cycles,’ such as urban driving, highway driving and aggressive driving.
Before teams have a chance to participate in dynamometer testing they will be subjected to a Safety and Technical Inspection. Safety Tech includes a variety of key checks on vehicle hardware, electrical systems, safety systems and controls functionality performed by EcoCAR 2 organizers from Argonne National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors and New Eagle.
Safety tech inspectors take a look at a student vehicleEach vehicle is inspected against a rigorous 300 point checklist, covering all aspects from the powertrain integration to the interior fit and finish.
Check back on the Green Garage Blog over the next three weeks to learn more about the March Emissions Testing Event! In the meantime, check out the competition’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.
