June 2, 2016: McMaster Rocks EcoCAR 3 Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition

ecocar

The McMaster University EcoCAR3 team traveled to Yuma, Arizona and San Diego, California to compete in the Year 2 EcoCAR 3 Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition from May 15 to May 26.

The four-year EcoCAR 3 challenge pits 16 North American university teams, composed of engineering, business and communications students, against one another to redesign a more environmentally friendly Chevrolet Camaro. McMaster is only one of two Canadian teams in the competition.

This year, teams were asked to show the first stages of their integrated vehicle with powertrains and were judged on a variety of demonstrations, including overall vehicle safety, on-road vehicle safety, energy consumption, and other dynamic events. While in San Diego, teams made presentations on alternative energy and advanced vehicle technologies to elementary and high school students.

“I think we are continuously developing all of our skills as a rookie team; from project management to technical to communications.” said Vanessa Raponi, the team’s Business Manager and a Materials Engineering and Management student.

“The growing and learning never ends on the team and in a lot of ways that is a challenge but in most ways it’s just a remarkable opportunity that us students perhaps would not have anywhere else in our educational journey.”

Continuing a reputation of excellence the team won several awards including:

  • Best Winter Workshop Systems Safety Presentation
  • 1st Place Mathworks Modelling Award
  • General Motors Women in Engineering Rookie Award
  • 2nd Place dSPACE Embedded Success Award
  • 1st Place AVL DRIVE Award
  • 2nd Place NSF Innovation Award

Original Article: https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/news/2016/ecoCAR_2016.html