Like the 2016 Camaro, each team within the EcoCAR 3: Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition possess individual characteristics that make them unique, including the model and design. The UA Camaro will be a Series-Parallel Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powered by E85. The team’s PHEV has an internal combustion engine, two motors and is recharged using the electrical grid. A.J. Hamley and Karissa Young, both students pursuing degrees in mechanical engineering, give insight into what fuels The UA EcoCAR 3 Team. As the Innovation Team leaders, both Hamley and Young work together to develop innovative research and design solutions. Hamley says the major factor that sets the team apart from competitors is the advanced technologies and facilities at The University of Alabama. As the team strives to create an eco-friendly future for the 2016 Camaro, a considerable amount of research, design and bench testing take place on a daily basis. With this cutting-edge technology and facilities, the team has a unique advantage over the competition.
“We have really great capabilities for engine testing that a lot of schools don’t have, and vehicle testing too,” Young said.
This testing allows members to see what does and does not work with the design. From there, team members refine the design and successfully move forward.
“We’re able to test engines, electric motors, essentially the whole car. We have large electric motors that absorb all the power the devices are making so you can run them at full power in a room completely controlled,” Hamley said. “The benefit for our team is that we can test components without them being in a vehicle.”
With its advanced technologies and facilities The UA EcoCAR 3 Team is confident that it will design an energy-efficient and high performance 2016 Camaro.
