Competition Goals
EcoCAR is a collegiate automotive engineering competition aimed at developing a highly skilled workforce by providing students with hands-on experience designing and building next-generation mobility solutions aimed at meeting our nation’s future energy and mobility challenges.
Over the course of the competition, students on the Georgia Tech EcoCAR team will develop skills in a multitude of disciplines. Key elements of the competition include model-based vehicle design, propulsion system integration, computing hardware and sensor selection and integration, electric vehicle controls development, and vehicle testing.
At the conclusion of the competition’s four-year vehicle development process, the Georgia Tech team will have designed and implemented a market-ready electric vehicle with team-designed adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and Vehicle-to-X connectivity – all intended to improve fuel economy and the overall mobility experience.
Vehicle Development Process
The EcoCAR Vehicle Development Process (VDP) mimics that used by GM for its vehicle development. However, given that the competition focuses on system modifications to a production vehicle, certain deliverables (such as body structure, vehicle styling, interior, crashworthiness) are not required.
The figure below presents a high-level schedule for the four years of the EcoCAR EV Challenge:
Competition Sponsors
The EcoCAR EV Challenge is sponsored by many industry sponsors and student get the opportunity to work with these sponsors throughout the competition. Additionally, many competition sponsors recruit students for internships and full-time jobs.
