Defending champion Ohio State revved up for next EcoCAR competition

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After racking up wins five years in a row, The Ohio State University will again participate in the next stage of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC).

The four-year collegiate automotive competition aims to develop a highly-skilled workforce by providing hands-on experience designing and building next-generation mobility solutions to meet our nation’s future energy and mobility challenges. Teams will be challenged to re-engineer a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. Incorporating advanced propulsion systems, electrification and connected and automated vehicle technology, they will improve the energy efficiency, safety and consumer appeal of the Blazer, with the carsharing market in mind.

“The team is ecstatic to compete in the next generation of EcoCAR challenges,” said Simon Trask, co-engineering manager for the Ohio State EcoCAR team. “With connected and automated vehicle technologies in the competition scope, our team can develop our design alongside the recent industry developments. Not only are we in exciting new territory for AVTCs, but we also have the opportunity to invest in students who will one day become leaders in this rapidly growing industry.”

EcoCAR Mobility Challenge is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors and MathWorks, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory.

“Over 25,000 students across 93 institutions have participated in the DOE’s advanced vehicle technology competitions,” said Connie Bezanson, energy technology program specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy. “These leaders and the people coming out of these programs are really helping to be the innovators and the leaders in sustainable transportation for our future.”

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The Ohio State University has been a participant in AVTCs since 1990 and has placed first in the past five consecutive years and placed in the top five in the past nine years.

Supporters of the team include Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research, College of Engineering, Office of Energy and Environment, the Simulation, Innovation and Modeling Center as well as Smart Columbus.

More than 1,000 students from 12 North American universities will participate each year, gaining real-world experience solving complex engineering challenges and building teamwork and leadership skills that they will take with them into their future careers.

The Ohio State EcoCAR team consists of 16 graduate students and 69 undergraduate students advised by faculty at the Ohio State Center for Automotive Research. The team consists of a wide range of majors including engineering, strategic communications and design.