Plugging In to the Future: UOIT named to EcoCAR2 competition

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - While innovative advanced vehicle technology students at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) gear up for the final round of EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge later this spring in Michigan and Washington, D.C., current and future UOIT automotive engineering students can now look forward to being part of the exclusive competition's next phase. At the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) annual World Congress on April 13 in Detroit, UOIT was selected as just one of 16 North American universities (one of only three from Canada) that will compete in EcoCAR2: Plugging In to the Future.

"This is comparable to earning a spot in the world finals for a sporting event," said Dr. Greg Rohrauer, assistant professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS), UOIT, and EcoCAR faculty advisor. "Argonne National Lab conducts an intense industry and government peer review process based on documentable past and present performance. After soliciting more than 400 universities, a rigorous proposal submission and strong institutional support filters the multitude of university applicants vying for a spot. Those who are accepted have effectively raised themselves to a level where they are immediately recognizable in the automotive world."

EcoCAR 2: Plugging in to the Future, is a three-year university automotive engineering competition and the only program of its kind. The competition's mission is a vital one: offer an unparalleled hands-on, real-world experience to educate the next generation of automotive engineers. The competition will challenge each team to reduce the environmental impact of a Chevrolet Malibu without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability. Following a Vehicle Development Process (VDP) modeled after General Motors' (GM) VDP, teams will have an opportunity to improve their vehicle's environmental efficiency (reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions) while retaining consumer acceptability, performance and safety.

"UOIT's acceptance into EcoCAR2 further exemplifies how quickly UOIT has forged an outstanding reputation for engineering," said Dr. George Bereznai, dean, FEAS. "Since the EcoCAR program began in 2008, our automotive engineering students have more than met the challenge to find innovative solutions to problems - they have proven time and again that they not only have what it takes to make an impressive mark against a group of long-established universities, but also be leaders in their own right."

Established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and GM, EcoCAR 2 builds upon a successful 23-year history of DOE Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) that exemplify the power of public/private partnerships in providing invaluable experience and training to promising, young minds entering the North American job market. EcoCAR 2 follows the widely acclaimed competition series EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge.

From June 5 to 16, UOIT will compete in the third and final round of EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge at the GM Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan and at the Sponsor Social networking and recruiting event in Washington, D.C. Last year, during Phase Two of EcoCAR, UOIT's cutting-edge, eco-friendly and fully electric car (donated by GM) took top honours in two categories: for the car's performance when changing lanes at high speed and for dynamic consumer acceptability based on handling, noise and vibration. UOIT completed the second phase of EcoCAR ranked fourth for its electrical and mechanical systems and in sixth place overall out of 16 universities - a group that included such institutions as Penn State, Virginia Tech and The Ohio State University.

UOIT owns Canada's largest road-licensed electric vehicle fleet at a university, which includes electric buses, pickup trucks, a minivan and various plug-in hybrids. For more information about UOIT's EcoCAR, please visit the team's website (http://uoitecocar.info/ecocar/index.php).

About Ontario Tech University
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Media contact
Bryan Oliver
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 2209
289.928.3653
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca