EcoCAR 3

EcoCAR 3 was a four-year-long AVTC challenge from 2014 – 2018. The 16 participating North American university teams are challenged to redesign a Chevrolet Camaro to reduce its environmental impact, all while maintaining the muscle and performance expected from this iconic American car.

 

For this challenge, the team focused on keeping the expected high performance on the vehicle while reducing emissions. A plug-in series hybrid-electric vehicle (SHEV) architecture was chosen by the team. Two 200kW EMRAX 268 electric motors paired with a team designed and manufactured single-speed planetary gearbox propelled each of the rear two wheels. A 20 kWh A123 Systems energy storage system supported the power demands by these motors. In addition, a generator system assembly comprising of a 78kW VFR800 engine operated on E85 alternative fuel and directly coupled to a Bosch SMG 180 system supplemented the additional power demand. The vehicle operated in charge-depleting and charge-sustaining modes using a rule-based energy management control algorithm. 

 

The vehicle implemented passive torque vectoring to improve vehicle handling and stability. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) involving vehicle and pedestrian detection were integrated using a front radar and monocular vision system.