EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge

What is EcoCAR?

EcoCAR: THe NeXt Challenge is the latest in a 19 year series of Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) for university and college engineering students sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) - is aimed at demonstrating technologies that address the critical need for sustainable personal transportation. DOE is joining with General Motors Corporation (GM), Natural Resources Canada, and many other organizations to sponsor this new three-year collegiate Advanced Technology Competition. Based loosely on the categories of California's Zero Emissions Vechile regulations, EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge seeks to build and test advanced vehicles with a wide range of potentially feasible production technologies that can be used in future cars and light trucks to acheieve much higher energy efficiency and lower GHG emissions.

Why Embry-Riddle?

Embry-Riddle has a strong vehicle history at its school. We have the 4th largest SAE organization in the world, with our teams entering the Aero Design, Baja SAE, and Formula Hybrid competitions. We have two Baja teams, one all female and one coed, with the coed placing 16th out of a field of more than 80 competitors. Our Formula Hybrid team place first nationally and second overall at the inaugural competition. We also won the Daimler-Chrysler Best Hybrid System and Most Innovative Design awards, the only other honors given out. We have the drive, the experience, the innovation, and the determination to excel at and win this competition.

Embry-Riddle's Solution

Through extensive modeling with PSAT (Powertran Systems Analysis Toolkit) Embry-Riddle has selected an innovative platform which will enable the team for success in the EcoCar competition. The architecture selected by Embry-Riddle utilizes a highly efficient turbocharged diesel engine using B20 Biodiesel, along with a three mode hybrid architecture. The vehicle will be able to operate as an electric, hybrid or internal combustion engine only vehicle. A charge depleting plug in hybrid control scheme will be implemented which will allow the greatest efficiency in a given situation to be selected by the adaptive control system. In addition, active aerodynamics and composite materials will be employed to reduce drag and vehicle weight to make the overall vehicle more efficient.