The Ohio State/Wilberforce University Team has been named the Year Two champion of the EcoCAR Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge, followed by Georgia Tech in second place and McMaster University (CA) in third place. The Year Two competition challenged teams to complete a series of vehicle events, comparable to tests automakers conduct, to ensure the vehicles perform as expected. Teams also presented to judges in several categories.

The EcoCAR EV Challenge is a cross-disciplinary competition among 15 North American universities designed to build an EV talent pipeline and is managed by Argonne National Laboratory and sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), General Motors (GM), and MathWorks.

In Fall 2023, teams received their 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ that they are reengineering to complete complex, real-world technical EV challenges, including enhancing the propulsion system to optimize energy efficiency, while maintaining consumer expectations for performance and driving experience for the remainder of the EV Challenge.

Vehicles are expected to pass an On-Road Safety Evaluation (ORSE), acceleration test, endurance and energy consumption (EEC) test and longitudinal control test to evaluate the vehicle’s dynamic handling characteristics and verify the ability of the vehicle to safely perform maneuvers it would face in real-world driving situations. Teams also identified any areas of improvement as they look ahead to year three.

The Ohio State University and Wilberforce University EcoCAR team scored 781 out of 1,000 total points. Georgia Tech received 756 points and McMaster University trailed by just six points with 750 points.

A foundational principle of EcoCAR is the use of Model-Based Design, a mathematical and visual design approach using MATLAB and Simulink that enables users to manage projects quickly and cost-effectively, collaborate on designs, and develop complex embedded systems.  MathWorks provides teams with a full suite of software tools, simulation models, training, technical mentoring, and operational support.