Since 1988, the U.S. Department of Energy has sponsored Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTCs) in partnership with the North American automotive industry. Managed by Argonne National Laboratory, AVTCs provide an unparalleled educational experience and serve as a real-world training ground for North America’s future engineers.
This public/private partnership harnesses the resources of government and industry to empower the next generation of engineers and business leaders to help address the toughest mobility challenges, while building a clean energy workforce that reflects the diversity of our nation.
More than 30,000 students from 95 educational institutions across North America have participated in AVTCs, creating a talent pipeline and a clean mobility workforce that has shaped new energy efficient mobility solutions for more than three decades.
Current and previous AVTC series include:
- EcoCAR EV Challenge (2022-2026)
- EcoCAR Mobility Challenge (2018-2022)
- EcoCAR 3: An Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (2014–2018)
- EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future (2011–2014)
- EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge (2008–2011)
- Challenge X: Cross to Sustainable Mobility (2004–2008)
- FutureTruck (1999–2004)
- Ethanol Vehicle Challenge (1997–2000)
- FutureCar Challenge (1995–1999)
- Propane Vehicle Challenge (1995 1997)
- HEV Challenge (1992–1995)
- Natural Gas Vehicle Challenge (1990–1993)
- Methanol Marathon (1988–1990)
About the Current AVTC Series: EcoCAR EV Challenge
The EcoCAR EV Challenge is a four-year collegiate engineering program that builds on the successful 34-year history of Department of Energy Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) that exemplify the power of government/industry partnerships in addressing our nation’s toughest energy and mobility challenges and providing invaluable practical skills of promising young minds ready to enter the workforce.
The Challenge is managed by Argonne National Laboratory and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, and MathWorks as the headlining sponsors.
EcoCAR EV Challenge is at the cutting edge of automotive engineering education, serving as a proving ground for future automotive engineers. The four-year competition will challenge collegiate students to engineer a next-generation battery electric vehicle (BEV) that deploys connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) features to implement energy efficient and customer-pleasing features, while meeting the decarbonization needs of the automotive industry. General Motors will donate a 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ to each team for the competition.
In addition, more than $6 million will be provided to the selected universities, for students to pursue advanced mobility research and experiential learning. This investment supports the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students and faculty to help build an EV talent pipeline that reflects the diversity of North America. Five Minority Serving Institutions, including two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), will also share more than $1 million to strengthen their automotive programs and recruit and retain underrepresented minority students and faculty.
To improve diversity in STEM and higher education, diversity, equity, and inclusion will be incorporated into all areas of the competition. Teams will be challenged to identify and address specific equity and electrification issues in mobility through the application of innovative hardware and software solutions, outreach to underserved communities and underrepresented youth to increase awareness about advanced mobility and recruit underrepresented minorities into STEM fields.
The competition will kick off in Fall 2022 and conclude in May 2026. For more information, please visit ecocarevchallenge.org or avtcseries.org.
The 15 universities selected to participate in the EcoCAR EV Challenge include:
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University/ Bethune-Cookman University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- McMaster University (Canada)
- Mississippi State University
- Ohio State University / Wilberforce University
- University of Alabama
- University of California, Riverside
- University of California, Davis
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Waterloo (Canada)
- Virginia Tech
- West Virginia University