GM EcoCar3 Competition Showcases Student-led Sustainable Future
Chevrolet Camaro proves to be successful test bed for next-gen hybrid-electric powertrains.
When General Motors recently invited me out to Hollywood to experience the completed cars from its EcoCar3: Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition, I represented the last step in the four-year project. And what a step it was: letting the general public loose in the streets behind the wheel of a next-generation Chevy Camaro, one unlike any other that has come before it. And the experience was as awesome as you’d expect.
Utilizing GM powertrains and hybrid electric battery pack systems, college students from 16 teams across the country have developed their take on a hybridized Camaro. This is all a part of the EcoCar 3 competition, a battle of research, development, and performance-testing to see which team has built the best hybrid Camaro. The competition was put on by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy.
In attendance were engineering teams from some of the nation’s top universities, including Arizona State, Cal State L.A., Georgia Tech, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech.
All of these teams were tasked with building a hybrid Camaro that performed in all ways like a regular production vehicle but offered superior fuel economy. For year one of the competition, teams had to conduct market research and see what their local consumer base wanted from a possible hybrid Camaro. Year two consisted of presenting their findings, like a case study, and garnering sponsorships. Year three, they were then given access to the General Motors parts bin so they could actually make the cars. For 2018, year four, the cars have all been completed and put through the performance ringer. Fuel economy, electric range, total range, acceleration, deceleration, interior comfort, and even track and autocross performances have all been judged.
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