Our History
Timeline
2022
2018
EcoCAR Mobility Challenge (2018 – 2022)
The EcoCAR Mobility Challenge (EcoCAR) was the 12th U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) series. The four-year competition challenged 11 university teams to apply advanced propulsion systems, as well as connected and automated vehicle technology to improve the energy efficiency, safety and consumer appeal of the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. This series was headline sponsored by DOE, General Motors (GM) and MathWorks, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory.
2014
EcoCAR 3 (2014 – 2018)
EcoCAR 3 was the 11th U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) series and is North America’s premier collegiate automotive engineering competition. The U.S. DOE and General Motors are challenged 16 North American universities to redesign a Chevrolet Camaro into a hybrid-electric car to reduce environmental impact, while maintaining the muscle and performance expected from this iconic American car.
2011
EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future (2011 – 2014)
coCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future was a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition established by the United States Department of Energy and General Motors (GM), and was managed by Argonne National Laboratory. The competition challenged 15 universities from across North America to reduce the environmental impact of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu by improving its fuel efficiency and minimizing the vehicle’s emissions while retaining its performance and consumer appeal.
2008
EcoCAR: The Next Challenge (2008 – 2011)
EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge was a yearly competition from 2008 to 2011, that built on the 19-year history of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) advanced vehicle technology competitions by giving engineering students the chance to design and build advanced vehicles to demonstrate cutting-edge automotive technologies.
2004
Challenge X (2004 – 2008)
In the first decade of the new millennium, the American automotive customer market trended toward larger family-sized vehicles. At the same time, an increased need to reduce energy consumption, as well as decreased vehicle emissions, was becoming imperative. As a result, the automotive and electronics industries, the U.S. and Canadian governments, and the academic community worked together to launch Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility.
1997
Ethanol Vehicle Challenge (1997-1999)
The Ethanol Vehicle Challenge was developed to demonstrate the potential of ethanol to significantly lower emissions, improve performance, increase fuel efficiency, and improve cold starting of vehicles. During the three years of this Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition, the platform changed from a 5-passenger Chevrolet Malibu to a full-size Chevrolet Silverado to reflect consumer demands for larger vehicles and more power.
1995
“Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC).” Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions, 14 June 2023, avtcseries.org/.