3 Canadian universities to battle in EcoCAR engineering competition

May 26, 2008

The EcoCAR Challenge was announced at the 23rd annual Electric Vehicle Symposium in Anaheim, Calif.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has announced that three Canadian universities have been selected to participate in “EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge,” a vehicle engineering competition set to begin in Fall 2008. Run in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors, EcoCAR will challenge all 17 entrants to reengineer a Saturn VUE to achieve improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.

The trio of Canuck schools involved—the Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ont., the University of Victoria (UVic) and the University of Waterloo—will design and build advanced propulsion solutions that are based on U.S. zero emissions vehicle regulations. They’re encouraged to explore clean vehicle solutions, including full-function electric, range-extended electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell technologies. In addition, they will incorporate lightweight materials, improve aerodynamics and utilize alternative fuels.

“The huge challenge for EcoCAR will be the use of more advanced technology including more complex battery chemistry,” says Cheri-Ann Olsen, an NRCan technical officer who is one of the NRCan organizers behind the EcoCAR challenge and a former participant in competitions of this kind.

The University of Waterloo shows off their reengineered "Challenge X" Chevrolet Equinox on May 13, 2008, in New Jersey.

Student from the University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT), an organization that researches, designs and implements vehicle modifications for use with alternative fuels, have competed in similar challenge before, “Challenge X,” which wrapped up in Washington, D.C., in May. Much like now, 17 university teams were tasked with reengineering a GM Chevrolet Equinox. It is one of a number of competitions that NRCan has been involved in since 1987, and as an EcoCAR platinum sponsor, it will help judge and provide operational support.

Students at the University of Victoria were also in Washington and looked forward to EcoCAR.

“This (EcoCAR) is great news, especially since we only had a week to complete a proposal once we decided to enter,” says UVic team member Jeremy Wise, a third-year mechanical engineering student currently on a co-op work term with NRCan. “We hope to involve all UVic engineering departments and get some UVic business students involved as well.”

While considering all alternative propulsion technologies, the team hopes to use PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and clean diesel engine technologies. The UVic entry will incorporate as many Canadian technologies and products as possible in their design.

During the three-year program, GM will provide production vehicles, vehicle components, money, technical mentoring and operational support, while sponsors such as dSPACE, National Instruments, MathWorks and Freescale Semiconductor are providing software and hardware components.

In Year 1, teams will develop their vehicle designs through the use of GM’s Global Vehicle Development Process – the modeling and simulation process currently used to develop all of GM’s vehicles. The emphasis is on optimizing a practical, realizable solution that will meet the goals of the competition.

During the second and third years, students will build the vehicle and continue to refine, test and improve operation. In the end, the prototypes will compete in a weeklong competition of engineering tests. These tests will be similar to the tests GM conducts to determine a prototype’s readiness for production.
www.ecocarchallenge.org
www.uwaft.com