Momentum - The Magazine for Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Vol. 4 No. 2 Summer 2019 | Page 18

18
The Hybrid Electric Ve-
hicle Team of Virginia
Tech takes the stage and
their second place trophy
in Year 1 of the 4-year
EcoCAR Mobility Chal-
lenge. First place went
to Ohio State with the
University of Alabama
taking third.
Photo/Myles Regan, Regan Digital Images.com
Hokies take 2nd in EcoCAR Mobility Challenge
Great start in first of four years of latest vehicle competition
The Virginia Tech Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Team (HEVT) took an overall second place
May 22 during year one of the EcoCAR
Mobility Challenge.
The challenge, the latest U.S. Department
of Energy Advanced Vehicle Technology
Competition, consists of 12 North American
universities who will apply advanced propul-
sion, electrification, and SAE Level 2 automa-
tion to a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer.
A Level 2 rating is considered partial auto-
mation, with automated functions in acceler-
ation and steering, but with a human driver
engaged with dynamic driving and monitor-
ing the environment at all times.
The first year of the challenge required
teams to conceptualize and design what they
will incorporate into their vehicles. Virginia
Tech's 2019 Blazer is scheduled to arrive in
August when the team will begin to incorpo-
rate their design modifications to the vehicle
platform.
As part of the four-year program, compet-
ing teams receive vehicle components, seed
money, technical mentoring and operational
support. Teams also receive software, train-
ing, technical and logistical support, and
hardware from competition sponsors such as
General Motors, MathWorks, the Dept. of
Energy, and others.