UT’s EcoCAR 3 team recently received its 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, which they will disassemble and rebuild as a hybrid as part of the EcoCAR 3 national competition.
The competition represents the next generation of automotive professionals who are training across engineering, communications, and business disciplines. Through this program, UT’s EcoCAR 3 team experiences a real-world vehicle development and launch process, from computer-aided design to developing marketing collateral.
Last year the UT team designed the hardware and software that will run the hybrid Camaro to be more energy efficient while maintaining the well-known characteristics of the iconic American performance vehicle.
The current team is now implementing those designs by completely taking apart the Camaro and rebuilding it as a hybrid that maintains the Camaro’s spirit. The 2016 Camaros for all sixteen university teams are donated by General Motors.
GM also provides each of the teams with vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring, and operational support. The US Department of Energy and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, provide competition management, team evaluation, and logistical support.
Launched in fall 2014, EcoCAR 3 is a four-year collegiate engineering competition. It is sponsored by the DOE and GM, and builds upon the twenty-six-year history of the DOE’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC).
EcoCAR 3 challenges university students to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of the Chevrolet Camaro, protecting the environment and saving American families and businesses money at the pump without compromising performance, safety, or consumer acceptability.
UT’s Camaro was unveiled at a ceremony hosted by the College of Engineering on January 15.
By David Goddard