Now Recruiting for EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future!

With a successful end to EcoCAR, UVic is looking forward to the next challenge. As one of 16 newly chosen teams in US and Canada, we will restart now for the new challenges of EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future. We are now recruiting new team members for EcoCAR 2. If interested please feel free to contact the team.

UVic had a great turnout to the EcoCAR information session on July 20 and we are having another in September (see brochure PDFs below).

	EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future information session - September 13, 2011
	EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future July 20 information session presentation

Also new for 2011 is MECH 459: Fundamental of Hybrid Electric Vehicles offered in Fall 2011 and taught by Dr. Zuomin Dong. See the course brochure below.

MECH 459: Fundamental of Hybrid Electric Vehicles course description

What is EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future?

EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future is a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM), and is being managed by Argonne National Laboratory. The competition challenges 15 universities across North America to reduce the environmental impacts of vehicles by minimizing the vehicle’s fuel consumption and reducing its emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance, safety and consumer appeal. Students use a real-world engineering process to design and integrate their advanced technology solutions into a GM-donated vehicle.

Students are designing and building advanced propulsion solutions that are based on vehicle categories from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) regulations. They explore a variety of cutting-edge clean vehicle solutions, including full-function electric, range-extended electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell technologies. In addition, students will incorporate lightweight materials into the vehicles, improve aerodynamics and utilize alternative fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen.

Teams are following a real-world approach modeled after GM’s global vehicle development process (GVDP), giving students valuable experience in real-world engineering practices, resource allocation and meeting deliverables. While other student engineering competitions focus primarily on hardware modifications, EcoCAR 2 includes a unique focus on modeling and simulation, as well as subsystem development and testing.

During the three-year program, General Motors will provide vehicles, vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. The U.S. Department of Energy and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, will provide competition management, team evaluation and technical and logistical support. Through sponsoring such advanced vehicle engineering competitions, GM and the U.S. Department of Energy are helping to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Green Garage Blog

Learn more about each team and their progress at www.green-garage.org, a virtual portal of the competition. The garage has become an icon of innovation, emblematic of a spirit of invention that gives us hope that together we can overcome any challenge. Through the doors of Green Garage become a witness of the EcoCAR Challenge. We can change the world one garage at a time!

We Need Volunteers

University of Victoria is aiming to prove they are automotive eco-engineers who will design and build the environmental vehicles of the future. Due to the significant size of this project, we are actively seeking volunteers from the engineering department and students from other faculties to volunteer for the coordination and completion of the competition's tasks. EcoCAR is based on a real-world integrated vehicle design and development process. Our team is developing the vehicle following a modified GM Global Vehicle Development Process (GVDP) for each phase of the three-year competition. The skills and experience learned in this competition are valuable for all team members and their future careers.

Contact the team below for more details. Become a member of UVic EcoCAR Team and help us build the environmental vehicle of the future!

Contact UVic EcoCAR 2