EcoCAR 3 is the latest U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) series. As North America’s premier collegiate automotive engineering competition, EcoCAR 3 is challenging 16 North American university teams to redesign a Chevrolet Camaro to reduce its environmental impact, while maintaining the muscle and performance expected from this iconic American car.
Sponsored by DOE and General Motors and managed by Argonne National Laboratory, EcoCAR is the heart of American automotive ingenuity and innovation and is the ultimate training ground for minting future automotive leaders.
While this model is the most technologically advanced Camaro in the vehicle’s history, EcoCAR 3 teams will be tasked to enhance the vehicle even further by applying the latest cutting-edge technologies and incorporating new innovative ideas. Teams have four years (2014-2018) to harness those ideas into the ultimate energy-efficient, high performance vehicle. The Camaro will keep its iconic body design, while student teams develop and integrate energy efficient powertrains that maximize performance, while retaining the safety and high consumer standards of the Camaro. Teams also will incorporate alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies that will lower greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions.
EcoCAR 3 teams will follow the EcoCAR Vehicle Development Process (EVDP) and establish a plan for research and development, analysis, and validation of the vehicle design. EcoCAR 3 teams will have the opportunity to get hands on experience working in many vehicle technology areas, such as:
- Energy Storage System design and integration
- Hardware and Software-in-the-Loop simulation and testing
- Human-Machine Interfacing (HMI) for infotainment and displays
- Vehicle connectivity and embedded control systems
- Powertrain component bench testing
- Use of vehicle modeling and simulation tools
- Improving aerodynamics
Technical Goals
The Camaro is a thrill behind the wheel, and now the EcoCAR students are in the driver’s seat. They have four years to design and integrate vehicle powertrains and alternative fuels, that when compared to the production Camaro, will further:
- Reduce energy consumption
- Reduce well-to-wheel GHG emissions
- Reduce criteria tailpipe emissions
- Maintain consumer acceptability in the areas of performance, utility, and safety
- Meet energy and environmental goals, while considering cost and innovation
