June 2010

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Victoria Shows Spirit, Sportsmanship, and Strength of Character to Win 4th Place

June 30, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

Each year at competition finals, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) organizers distribute two very special “organizer” awards – the Dr. Donald Streit Sportsmanship Award and the Ron Stence Spirit of the Challenge Award. The first honor goes to the team that unselfishly reaches out to assist and support the other teams and organizers, despite their own circumstances and challenges. The award is named for the late Dr. Donald Streit, who served as faculty advisor to the Pennsylvania State University FutureTruck team and whose dedication and sportsmanship live on through the AVTC students. The Spirit of the Challenge Award is named in memory of a longtime EcoCAR competition organizer and sponsor from Freescale Semiconductor, Mr. Ron Stence. Ron was a very dedicated and passionate advocate of the AVTC program whose persistence to overcome almost any challenge encompassed the true “spirit of the challenge.”

This year, the University of Victoria EcoCAR team, lead by students Jeremy Wise and Jeff Waldner, had the perseverance, sportsmanship, strength of character, and positive attitude characterized by both the Spirit of the Challenge and Sportsmanship Awards. This was evident in the unanimous decision by competition organizers that the team would receive both honors.

The University of Victoria team accepting an award at the EcoCAR Year Two Finals

Throughout the year, the University of Victoria fought endlessly through challenges and was successful in having a running vehicle. Leading up to competition, the team participated in weekly conference calls to help others use GM’s 2-Mode transmission and answer questions about their development and integration progress. They were heavily involved in the discussion boards, always answering any questions other teams might have in a timely manner, even while developing their own vehicle. The team was an integral part of 2-Mode integration and control strategy troubleshooting, and without their efforts, we can be sure that other teams would not be as far along as they were when they arrived at competition.

Even with all of their preparation, the team had some issues going into competition. With just a couple weeks before their vehicle shipped to Yuma, they suffered a broken input shaft and had to remove their powertrain for repair. During competition, they had another mechanical issue with their powertrain. Rather than give up, the team modified their control strategy to achieve significant vehicle functionality and were able to complete almost all of the dynamic events, ultimately finishing in 4th place overall. 

The University of Victoria EcoCAR in action!

Despite their own technical struggles, the University of Victoria team consistently went out of their way to share knowledge and experience with other 2-mode teams throughout Year Two. During competition, one team noted that they were unaware Victoria was even having mechanical issues because whenever they asked them questions, the team members were always positive and willing to help. They demonstrated wisdom and vision in recognizing that helping others reach their ultimate potential is as valuable as seeking their own immediate success. The University of Victoria is a model to other teams in their attitude, willingness to help others, and ability to never give up. We can’t wait to see what the team does in Year Three! Congratulations, UVic team!

Contributed by Nicole Lambiase, an engineering coordinator for Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition program.

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NCSU’s Long, Impressive Road to “Most Improved”

June 29, 2010 in Uncategorized by ggguest | No comments

Looking back at EcoCAR Finals 2010, it’s easy to see a school that placed very well, won lots of events, took home awards and overall, excelled at competition. But often, the number and rank of awards doesn’t tell the whole story. One team who is an example of that is North Carolina State University (NCSU).  Before going on, I’ll provide some background.

NCSU is new to the Advanced Vehicle Technology competitions and until EcoCAR, they hadn’t taken on anything with this scope and complexity. It is very easy to fall behind and initially NCSU did just that. Some of the pitfalls happened to more experienced teams, but to a lesser degree. For example, students might spend an exorbitant amount of time on one section of a report only to fall short in another section. Prioritizing workloads has proven very difficult and is unquestionably part of the EcoCAR learning experience. It helps young engineers get a sense of how much work it takes to accomplish a given task and where tradeoffs between time and resources should be made. We could see NCSU’s growing experience levels reflected in their reports but there isn’t any downtime in EcoCAR, so if a team falls behind it’s tough to catch up.  Nevertheless, NCSU forged on.  At the Year 1 competition finals in Toronto, they were short on staff with two students giving every engineering and outreach presentation. They finished 16th.  However, don’t let that figure fool you. Those two students were key to the team’s turn around in Year 2.

So how did NCSU do it? I’m sure there were many factors, but NCSU has some key strengths.  I’ll qualify these observations by stating that as an organizer we only see the teams a few times a year so I’m sure NCSU has many more strengths than I am about to mention. On our first visit to NCSU, we were tasked to inspect facilities which went smoothly. After, we were taken on a university tour and what we saw at the university was very encouraging. It was clear NCSU knew how to build stuff.  Labs and fabrication shops were buzzing with activity. Students were working on Formula SAE as well as other projects.  There were several completed vehicles from past years displaying high levels of workmanship. We left with a good feeling about them. Sure, they may have been overwhelmed by the initial pace of EcoCAR but we guessed when it came time to build their car, they would know how to get it done.

The next strength and probably the most critical were the people and culture that NCSU brought to competition. In Year 1, Ali Seyam and Abram Harder were co-team leaders and showed great strength by tackling so many presentations and work themselves. Most teams have students specialized in respective areas who then, give presentations on those topics. NCSU did not and today, Ali and Abram are probably some of the most knowledgeable and experience students in the EcoCAR program.

Ali and Abram both started graduate school and continued to lead their team into the competition’s second year.  This brought critical continuity and experience to the NCSU team.  I’m not exactly sure what those two did differently in the second year but it worked. They put together a well-rounded team representing multiple engineering disciplines. The team finished the control system and design development that they did not complete in Year 1 in addition to all of the Year 2 work.  Instead of bringing the smallest team, they brought one of the largest teams to competition and worked very hard to get their vehicle through the safety tech inspection and then into events.  Things didn’t all go their way. Their car was too heavy requiring them to remove some non-essential parts and they couldn’t get their engine/generator to work properly.  They had to make some hard decisions. Work on their engine longer and risk running out of time to drive (their vehicle propels itself electrically and can run on battery power for a considerable distance)? Or run without the engine/generator which would limit them in some events but let them earn points in dynamic events?

Their team leadership showed excellent focus and an understanding of the overall competition strategy that one would typically expect of a veteran team. They chose the second option which I think all parties involved agreed was a smart move.  Their decision meant a few things: they couldn’t finish the emissions and energy consumption event (the most points of all dynamic events) and they took a penalty for the vehicle not running as intended. They knew they were going to lose points, but not as many as if they did not get their car through safety tech inspections in time.  Still, the team was upbeat as ever. They didn’t let this get them down one bit. Organizer after organizer remarked how pleasant they were to work with and how they seemed to handle adversity with a fantastic attitude.

In Year 2 NCSU earned 7th place and the award for most improved team.  However, that honor can’t capture what it took to get where they are today.  My former team at San Diego State University had similar issues and also did poorly in the first year of EcoCAR’s predecessor, Challenge X. We also climbed to the same exact same places as NCSU in the first 2 years of EcoCAR.  I can personally relate to the challenges and hard work it takes to get from where they were to where they are now.  Back to my original point – at a glance 7th place and an award for improvement might not stand out. However, the true story is the one behind the scenes.  NCSU has shown an outstanding work ethic and attitude that not only makes them great to work with but should help the team achieve even more success in Year 3.  They have shown an outstanding ability to bounce back from hardship, learn from mistakes, and apply their experience in the real world for real improvement. That type of positive environment is ideal to inspire and cultivate the next generation of engineers to lead our nation and world towards a future of sustainable mobility. And in the end, that’s why we are all here.

-Contributed by Frank Falcone, a vehicle systems engineer for Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition program.

An Inside Look into the Top Three EcoCAR Teams

June 24, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

With seven E85, six B20 biodiesel, two H2 fuel cell, and one full-electric vehicle at the Year Two Finals, the contest was fierce as each team showcased their unique vehicle architecture and competed for the first place trophy.

In the end, Mississippi State University took top honors with their plug-in series hybrid. The team won more than 15 awards during the Year Two Competition Finals, including 1st place in Energy Storage Design, 1st place in Outreach, 1st place in every Emissions and Energy Consumption event, and had the Best Controls, Mechanical, and Vehicle Design Review presentations.

In Year Two, the Mississippi team integrated a variety of components into their vehicle to decrease emissions and maintain consumer acceptability. The team’s plug-in range-extended hybrid included a well designed, translucent energy storage system cover with an inventive liquid cooling system. They had an innovative high-voltage wire routing, urea injection system, and maintained stock cargo space. They even bettered the baseline vehicle by more than two seconds in the Autocross Event.

MSU's EcoCAR on the road!

MSU also won every dynamic event in the Emission and Energy Consumption category. For the first time in Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition history, the Mississippi team received the highest fuel consumption score. The team utilized more than 90 percent of their 21 kWh battery pack and finished both the 22 mile and 44 mile schedule without using any biodiesel. The team was also able to significantly reduce their petroleum use by charge depleting for 60 miles and bettered the baseline vehicle’s greenhouse gas score by more than 30 percent in the Well-to-Wheel Greenhouse Gases event. In the end, Mississippi State achieved Tier 2, Bin 7 emissions over the EcoCAR drive schedule and averaged less than 2 Lge/100km in fuel consumption.

Taking home second place at the Year Two Finals, Virginia Tech won a combined eight trophies including Best Electrical Presentation and Best Braking, and was the runner up in Best Petroleum Energy Usage and Best Tailpipe Emissions. The team’s E85 engine with a 15 kilowatt belted alternator and 80 kilowatt rear traction drive successfully completed every dynamic event.  Virginia Tech’s vehicle stopped within mere seconds during the Braking event and won Best Static Consumer Acceptability with a clean engine compartment, five passenger seating, and a fully functional touch screen.

The Virginia Tech EcoCAR during emissions testing

Penn State University placed third overall with a 1.3L, B20 biodiesel series hybrid. At the Year Two Finals, the team took home eight awards, including Best AVL Drive Quality, Best Social Media, 2nd in A123 Battery Design, 3rd in Outreach, and was the runner up in Best Fuel Consumption and Best Tailpipe Emissions. The team’s fuel consumption averaged around 4.1 Lge/100 km and the EcoCAR displayed impressive acceleration linearity and quick throttle response during the Drive Quality dynamic tests. In addition, the team was able to host more than 50 outreach events and increase media relations by more than 400 percent in the outreach program.

The PSU team working under hood

Although Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and Penn State were the top three teams in Year Two, there was a variety of other awards given out during Finals. You can find the complete list of winners, here.

With only one year left, the EcoCAR competition will get fierce as all 16 EcoCAR teams fight for the number one spot in Year Three. Who will it be? Check back to the Inside the Green Garage blog throughout Year Three for team and competition updates!

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Life After EcoCAR: Jim Motavalli Examines Recruiting and Future Careers for Students

June 23, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

During Finals in May, journalist Jim Motavalli (among other reporters) traveled to Yuma, Arizona to learn more about the competition and see the students and EcoCARs in action. Impressed by the team’s work, he has since published several articles about the program including, Dude, hand me that wrench: EcoCar trains young engineers to make green vehicles (Mother Nature Network) and At the EcoCar Summit: Green Car Challenges for Young Engineers (The Daily Green).

Jim Motavalli talking with Missouri S&T team lead Kevin Martin

He most recently wrote about EcoCAR in a BNET article entitled, “GM’s New EV Hiring Tactic: Sponsor College Competitions, Skim Off the Winners,” which shines the spotlight on a key pipeline for automotive recruiting – college competitions.

As Jim mentions in his piece, General Motors hired 55 graduates from Challenge X (the advanced vehicle technology competition prior to EcoCAR) and another 16 from EcoCAR, so far. As Jim points out, “There are still plenty of job openings for people with passion, a degree and the right stuff.”

He witnessed the student’s hard work and dedication in Yuma.  “On a visit to Yuma, I saw kids working well past the point of exhaustion — and  many cars in total pieces on the shop floor,” says Jim.

The GM staff also takes note of the talent, and Jim saw the payoff firsthand. Talking with Dan Mehr, who was a former engineering student at the University of Wisconsin and member of the Challenge X team, he told Jim about the days he used to put in 80-hour weeks in their university garage, sleeping there “at least one night a week.” Today, Dan works as an energy storage integration engineer at GM, focusing on the in-flux plug-in hybrid car program, and is also a mentor for EcoCAR.

Dan Mehr (right) with the University of Wisconsin's "Moovada"

In a conversation with Micky Bly, GM’s executive director for hybrid electric vehicles and batteries, right after Finals, Jim and he got to the heart of what fuels the teams to keep working so hard: “It’s a great thing to be able to step out of school and go to work on the cutting edge of the industry,” said Bly.

EcoCAR appreciates Jim’s support of the competition – A big thank you from all of us!

Do you have a favorite news story from Finals that you want to share? Post links to great stories on EcoCAR’s Facebook page or share as a comment to this blog post.

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Outreach Coordinators: EcoCAR’s Unsung Heroes

June 21, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

EcoCAR is a multi-dimensional project that brings students together from a wide array of majors. The outreach component of the competition draws in communications and marketing students who want to contribute what they’ve learned in the classroom to the team. Outreach is an integral part of the EcoCAR competition, with the goal of educating communities and raising awareness about the benefits of advanced vehicle technologies. Outreach strategies focus on how advanced technologies reduce the overall impact of transportation on the environment and our economy.

The main focus for EcoCAR’s Year Two outreach program was media relations and the education of policy makers, youth, consumers, government officials, and NGOs, with an emphasis on social media outlets. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, blog posts, videos, and online forums were just a few forms of social media that students used to help rally fans and introduce others to the EcoCAR project. Social media outreach proved to be very efficient in communicating messages about energy efficiency and advanced vehicle technologies to the public.

Not only was Mississippi State University the overall first place team in Year Two, but also placed first in outreach. MSU scored 36.9 points for outreach efforts, Ohio State University followed with a very close second place victory scoring 36.6 and Pennsylvania State University following just behind in third place with a total of 35.9 points.

MSU team members accepting the EcoCAR 1st place Outreach Award

“Our outreach team was successful due to the diversity of our members’ talents; each member had something unique to offer,” said Elizabeth Butler, MSU team Outreach Coordinator. “The engineering side of our team was also really supportive in helping out with events and together the group was able to accomplish a wide range of events with a lot of creativity.”

Several teams invited government leaders from their community to their workshops to check out their vehicle and to learn about the EcoCAR Challenge. Other teams visited local schools and youth groups to discuss fuel efficiency and ways to reduce petroleum dependency. MSU developed very close relationships with many local schools, even scheduling return visits to update the kids about their vehicle’s progress throughout the school year, as well as educate them about energy-related issues.

The third place outreach winner, Penn State, also took home top honors in the Best Social Media category for the second year in a row. Outreach Coordinator and fervent tweeter, Dana Bubonovich, said the team was successful because they were able to keep updating information on various online platforms.

Dana and Allison from Penn State accepting the Best Social Media Award at Finals

“Throughout Year Two, I updated our Twitter page more than 900 times; I tried to blog as often as I could and update our Facebook page with the help of the engineers,” said Bubonovich. “Social media has become the new way to learn about current news and trends, so by focusing a lot of my time on that, I was able to increase the team’s recognition throughout Pennsylvania.”

While in San Diego at the Year Two Finals, the Outreach Coordinators had the opportunity to work with national media at the EcoCAR “Ride and Drive” event. The teams and the Outreach Coordinators spent time talking to the press and showing off their vehicles.

The EcoCAR outreach program helps students learn how to promote their efforts and energy efficient vehicles on various public platforms, and prepares them for jobs in the rapidly-changing energy world.

Outreach grows increasingly more important as teams begin Year Three of competition. This year, teams will focus on refining their vehicle into near-production prototypes. With a strong focus on consumer appeal, engineering and marketing students will work even more closely with each other, developing an understanding of how both roles play a part in developing a consumer product.

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A Look at the EcoCAR 2010 Outstanding Faculty Advisors (Part 1 of 2)

June 11, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

For more than a decade, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has honored an incoming and long-term faculty advisor within the DOE Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) program that best promotes the AVTC goals, objectives, and activities within their university. Advisors receive a $10,000 cash prize toward their AVTC program as well as special recognition from the NSF.

The NSF recognizes that the role of the faculty advisors is paramount to a team’s success. They provide not only the knowledge and education that is fundamental to the student’s understanding of the program deliverables, but they provide the guidance and leadership that keeps the student teams on course throughout the program. These awards recognize advisors who have successfully incorporated the EcoCAR goals, objectives, and activities into their undergraduate engineering curriculum and the benefits students receive as a result of the EcoCAR program are of special importance.

Dr. Roydon Fraser

The first advisor we’d like to congratulate is Dr. Roydon Fraser, Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Waterloo who was awarded the 2010 NSF Outstanding Long-term Faculty Advisor Award for his 15 years of dedicated service to the AVTC program.  Since 1996, Dr. Fraser has transformed the University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) into one of the largest student teams on campus. The team has generated such prestige that many students come to UW just to join the team. Dr. Fraser provides critical administrative support to ensure tools, equipment and funding necessary to implement project designs are available to his students and helps them to think critically and innovatively to push students to their highest potential. Dr. Fraser has supervised about 650 design projects throughout his tenure in the AVTC program and has successfully led his teams to multiple top four place finishes in the Propane and Ethanol Vehicle competitions as well as the Challenge X and current EcoCAR Challenge series’.

Dr. Fraser receives the 2010 NSF Outstanding Long-term Faculty Advisor Award from Connie Bezanson, DOE's AVTC Program Manager.

And notably, this advisor is recognized for his tireless pursuit of difficult vehicle architectures – fielding a dedicated fuel cell vehicle in the last two competition series. In fact, Waterloo’s hydrogen fuel cell entry in the 2007 Challenge X series is the first dedicated fuel cell vehicle in AVTC history to successfully complete every scored dynamic event! Here are just some of the statements from his students:

  • “Dr. Fraser provided a wealth of knowledge about both the vehicle competition and the bigger picture of sustainable vehicular technology.”
  • “He is a tireless advocate of both student potential and advanced vehicles”
  • “Dr Fraser strives to ensure that the students involved in EcoCAR will attain success in their academic terms while receiving the benefits of the hands on applications that EcoCAR has to offer”
  • “I cannot even imagine myself without this experience and my relationship with him – it has changed my life.”

Dr. Fraser with the UWAFT EcoCAR team at the GM Desert Proving Ground in Yuma, AZ.

Check back shortly for a second Outstanding Faculty Advisor post!

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A Look at the EcoCAR 2010 Outstanding Faculty Advisors (Part 2 of 2)

June 11, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

In this second post, we’d like to applaud the winner of the “Outstanding Incoming Faculty Advisor” Award for 2010, which is actually a team of two advisors who provide an excellent example of what faculty can do with the EcoCAR program at an incoming university.

Dr. Zuomin Dong and Dr. Curran Crawford from the University of Victoria share the role as co-faculty advisors for the university’s EcoCAR team. Dr. Dong is professor and chair of Victoria’s Mechanical Engineering department. Dr. Crawford is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering for Victoria and also a former ME graduate from the university.

Dr. Zuomin Dong

Dr. Curran Crawford

The University of Victoria established their engineering program in 1983 and offered their first automotive engineering course in 2008 when the university was accepted into the EcoCAR competition series. Although a relatively young program, under Dr. Dong and Dr. Crawford’s leadership Victoria has quickly become one of the most successful new teams in the EcoCAR series. As soon as the university was selected into EcoCAR, the advisors worked with the administration to find suitable facilities on campus for the teams and are establishing a dedicated Hybrid Electric Vehicle Research and Training Center, which will further automotive research and provide a facility for students to obtain a broader engineering education. The advisors have also created courses for hybrid vehicle design specifically for EcoCAR and worked with other engineering faculty to incorporate EcoCAR design projects into their curriculum.

Dr. Crawford receives the 2010 NSF Outstanding Incoming Faculty Advisor Award from Connie Bezanson, DOE's AVTC Program Manager.

Much of the team’s success can be traced back to the attitude and example set by Dr. Dong and Dr. Crawford who motivate their students to do things “the right way.” The advisors have always encouraged their team to strive for the best possible solution/design, even if it may be the most challenging. Whether this means making and following a plan from the start, or spending those few extra hours to make sure the job gets done right, the Advisors have instilled a professional, respectful, and winning attitude in students. In addition, the Advisors have encouraged the Team to form good relationships with other schools and the team has gone above and beyond to mentor and help support other teams with similar vehicle architectures. It is this approach to the competition that has helped propel the UVic Team to high levels, despite the fact that this is the first AVTC competition for the university.

Dr. Dong with the Victoria team at the GM Desert Proving Ground in Yuma, AZ.

The following student statements best characterizes their advisors’ efforts:

  • “To say that my advisors have had an impact on my educational experience would be an understatement. Were it not for their efforts in regards to the EcoCAR project, I would not be as excited about my education and my future as I am today.”
  • “I have never felt the desire to interact with my professors outside of my classes. However, through the EcoCAR team, Dr. Crawford has given me a different perspective on professors. His knowledge and ability to teach are both excellent, but above all, his positive energy and strong desire to provide a great learning experience for his students has earned my respect.”

University of Victoria EcoCAR team

We congratulate the three outstanding Faculty Advisors, Dr. Zuomin Dong and Dr. Curran Crawford as well as Dr. Roydon Fraser, and appreciate their dedicated service and commitment to the EcoCAR program.

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Looking Back at the Most Difficult Hurdle During Finals: Safety/Tech Inspections!

June 9, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | 1 comment

Frank Falcone, one of EcoCAR’s key organizers and technical coordinators (and former competition alumni), was a Safety & Technical Inspector in this year’s competition and explained that although it was a lot of work, it was also a lot of fun.

“Working in the pits with the teams is still the best part of the whole competition year for us,” said Frank. “We see the teamwork, camaraderie, learning, and triumph. We see the strength of spirit in the face of insurmountable challenges. We see the amazing results when students throw themselves at an engineering project with everything they’ve got. It reminds us why what we do is so important and we feel lucky to be a part of it. We can’t wait to do it again next year!”

After the craziness of Finals, we had the opportunity to sit down with Frank and discuss the safety/tech inspections:

GG: What is the first step in the safety/tech process, Frank?

FF: The whole process actually began a couple of days before the students arrived at GM’s Desert Proving Ground for competition. The vehicles were put through a 320 point inspection and the results were logged by the inspection team. The goal here is to give the teams a list of action items, so that they can hit the ground running and know what to focus on when they arrive at the Proving Ground on the first day. This was intended to help them get through the inspection as fast as possible and on to the fun part: driving their vehicles in the competition.  This also gave us inspectors a chance to get familiar with the diverse powertrains. This process took about two days and then the students arrived.

GG: What was next?

FF: As the day moves on, many teams passed inspections and moved on to road safety evaluations. Other teams continued to address issues.

GG: Are the inspectors the only people involved in this process or were others helping out?

FF: GM’s Proving Ground technicians were an invaluable resource in this process.  Some vehicles needed better protective covers, others didn’t have enough ground clearance. Whatever the issue, if it required fabrication, the Proving Ground techs were on it.  We just could not have gotten by without them.

GG: What were the biggest challenges for teams during the safety/tech inspections?

FF: Invariably, there was a group of teams that struggled to get through the inspection process, for a number of different reasons: taking on exceptionally complex designs, suffering an equipment issue-related setback, or just bad luck. Sometimes it was all three. This can be a challenging time for teams and inspectors. The pressure is mounting because we all know time is running out to get through safety tech and on to competing in events. Inevitably, we have to deliver the hard news when time is up. There were probably a lot of students that felt like giving up but instead this was where we saw the true spirit of the competition come through.

GG: What teams showed that resilience and drive this year?

FF: Some teams that kept on keepin’ on were Embry-Riddle, Missouri Science & Technology, University of Waterloo, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Michigan Tech. Each had their own story, but all made huge progress and didn’t stop trying until it was time to move on to San Diego for the second, non-vehicle half of the competition. In the case of MS&T and Waterloo they might have realized early on that their odds of getting through tech inspection were not good but you wouldn’t know it. They built plug-in fuel cell electric vehicles which made for extremely integration intensive powertrains that also had electrical engineering challenges beyond most of the others. Embry-Riddle and Michigan Tech had control related issues that could not be surmounted even with the help of the GM staff. Michigan Tech’s plight was made more difficult by the departure of key team members who were hired into industry just prior to the competition. Rose-Hulman saw a large team turnover at the beginning of the new year which meant their team of mostly undergraduate students had to catch up and do so quickly. They came from an empty vehicle to one that was mostly complete in only a few months. While they missed the safety tech cutoff, they eventually got their vehicle running on all systems and were allowed to do low speed shake down driving in a designated area. Whatever the reason, the teams that did not make it through safety/tech inspections in time carried on despite that setback and made us very proud of them.

GG: This being the first vehicle year of the EcoCAR competition series, we know it’s really a struggle for teams to get fully functional. Were there any special stories you could share with us about teams who almost got there?

FF: Almost every team has a similar story this year – struggling through so many complex challenges to develop a running vehicle. But two stories at the competition really hit home for me. The University of Victoria, or UVic as we affectionately call them, suffered a major mechanical failure that was a major setback and a crushing blow to the team. The UVic team was one of the hardest working all year and made a tremendous effort to get their 2 mode transmission working in all modes.  In spite of all their challenges they also worked to help out other 2 mode teams throughout the year and at the competition. But when the transmission failed at the competition the team “changed gears” to run as an EV and programmed their vehicle to get as much functionality as possible.  And as a result, they made it through safety tech and drove their vehicle in all of the dynamic events. In spite of everything, the team rallied together in the end and ended up with a Fourth Place finish as well as awards for Spirit of the Challenge and Sportsmanship!

Another story of triumph is a long-time veteran of our competitions, Ohio State.  OSU took on what is almost certainly the most complex powertrain design in the EcoCAR fleet and possibly the most complex in the history of these competitions.  They knew their challenges were extremely formidable and we admire OSU for putting learning first even if that meant they didn’t quite make it through all the dynamic events this year. Their stellar design and controls work throughout the year, still earned the team a Fifth Place finish!

GG: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Frank. It sounds like the safety/tech inspections are an intense, yet rewarding experience. We look forward to hearing from you again in Year Three of the EcoCAR Challenge!

Check out the slide show below for a compilation of photos from the Year Two safety/tech inspections:

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Chat Here! Join EcoCAR Year Two Winners for Online Discussion Today at 3p ET

June 4, 2010 in Uncategorized by ggguest | No comments

Looking to talk with the Year Two EcoCAR winners Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and Penn State? You’ve come to the right place. Click Here beginning at 3 p.m. ET to join the discussion!

How did the teams stay ahead of the competition? What was the most challenging aspect of putting their car through inspections at GM’s Desert Proving Grounds? Hardest test? How has this judging round changed the direction of their vehicle? What are the main goals and milestones in Year Three? Bring your questions! It’s an open forum and we hope you can join us today.

Web Chat Starts Tomorrow at 3pm: Top Three EcoCAR Teams Take Questions!

June 3, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

What is your team’s secret to winning? What kind of fuel economy did your vehicle get? What was the best part about being at the GM Desert Proving Ground in Yuma?

Check back to the Inside the Green Garage blog tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET for an opportunity to talk shop with the EcoCAR Year Two winners – Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and Penn State. Simply click below to join the chat and ask the teams your questions.

Webchat with the Top Three Universities from Year Two EcoCAR Challenge

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