Ohio State Students Win 2nd Year of EcoCar Competition

A student team from Ohio State University has won this year's phase of the four-year EcoCar 3 competition with a plug-in hybrid version of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro.

The competition, which is sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy and General Motors Co., is designed to optimize a Camaro's fuel efficiency while maintaining performance, safety and comfort. Sixteen college teams are competing in the program.

It’s the third straight win for Ohio State, which also won the first year of EcoCar 3 and the final year of EcoCar 2 in 2014. Teams from Virginia Tech and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Greenville, S.C., took second and third place, respectively, this year.

Following 2015’s design phase, this year’s competition focused on building electrified propulsion systems into the modified Camaros. Teams were rated on vehicle performance in a variety of technical tests, including emissions, safety and drive quality, at GM’s Proving Grounds in Yuma, Az. They also were assesed on presentations related to project management, consumer appeal, mechanical integration and innovation.

Over the next two years, the teams will focus on embedded controls and software, integration refinement and market engagement. More than a dozen industry sponsors have provided more than $915 million in software, hardware and cash donations to the 16 university teams to date.