Our History

The EcoCAR EV Challenge is a four-year collegiate automotive engineering competition that challenges 15 North American universities to engineer a next generation battery electric vehicle to demonstrate the potential of advanced propulsion systems and Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies. 

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.  

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. 

The Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Challenge began in 1991 when General Motors donated a GMC Sierra 2500 pickup truck to 24 engineering schools that submitted the best design proposals for the purpose of converting the vehicles to dedicated natural gas use. Natural gas was selected as the next fuel for the students to work with because the U.S. has an abundance of domestic natural gas resources and many natural gas companies were promoting its use in motor vehicles.