Embry-Riddle Turns on their Ignition

The EcoEagles have been hard at work in their Green Garage in Daytona Beach, Florida. Whether they are working on the wiring on their energy storage system (ESS) or tinkering on their 2.4L E85 EcoTEC engine, this team has a real passion for what they do that shines through their newly running 2016 Camaro ESS!

In late March, the team realized their goal for a running vehicle before competition was about to become a reality. Having completed the commissioning process through the EcoCAR 3 organization and successfully completing the BOSCH commissioning over spring break, the team was ready to see their masterpiece run after gaining access to a closed course on Embry-Riddle’s campus (much thanks to Campus Safety). After a close inspection by the team leads, and the lead faculty advisor Dr. Patrick Currier, the team was given the green light to drive their vehicle into the future.

The dynamic testing was done using the electric components of the vehicle and the team is still currently working on finishing their engine integration to have a fully functioning car by final competition. After two years of hard work on a vehicle that the team only had access to for less than three months, the team felt nothing but warmth and accomplishment when seeing their Camaro drive safely around the course. With Tom Gorgia, the Engineering Manager, in the driver’s seat and Matthew Nelson, Controls Team Lead, riding in the passenger seat, the car was in the safest, most capable hands.

While many would assume that turning an iconic American vehicle, such as the Chevrolet Camaro, would be a mistake, the team believes they have strengthened and furthered the technology already engineered into this vehicle. Slated to have a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds and an estimated base cost of $34,700, this vehicle is going to scream consumer acceptability. Furthermore, the consumer will have little to fear about their carbon footprint gaining a size anytime soon. Embry-Riddle’s Camaro ESS provides a steady 53 mpgge (miles per gallon gasoline equivalent) for when you’re running the kids to a soccer game or making a quick trip to the supermarket.

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What’s On My Desk: Featuring Ashley M. Madison of MSU

Ashley M. Madison currently serves as Mississippi State University’s (MSU) EcoCAR 3 Communications Manager (CM). Ashley is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Arts in communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in marketing and broadcasting. One of the greatest things about serving on the MSU EcoCAR 3 team is having access to the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) located in the Thad Cochran Research and Development Park on MSU’s campus. Each team lead position has a designated cube at CAVS that is passed down to new leads as the roles change. Let’s take a look at what’s on Ashley’s desk!

1. MSU has been fortunate to participate in four consecutive Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC). On the back wall of Ashley’s cube is memorabilia from Challenge X, EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge, EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future, and now EcoCAR 3. Fun Fact: The far left item is a DVD from Challenge X that was created in 2008 at Winter Workshop in Los Angeles, CA.

2. Throughout the years, MSU CMs have collected various swag items from sponsor socials at various workshops. This General Motors rubber duck now holds a permanent place on Ashley’s desk.

3. One thing every MSU EcoCAR 3 team member knows is that sometimes the competition deliverables have you working at your desk at CAVS until three or four in the morning. In order to de-stress, Ashley keeps a globe stress ball within arm’s reach at her desk.

4. Coffee doesn’t always do the trick. Sometimes you get a craving at midnight that only a soft drink can suppress. Ashley keeps a couple of soft drinks on hand for herself and the rest of the team members when they are at CAVS past closing time.

5. Ashley and the team still aren’t sure where the Hulk hands came from… all they know is that they are thankful they were left in the CM’s cube. Every now and again you will hear a “crunch” or the sound of Hulk shouting, “HULK SMASH” as Jared, the team’s Engineering Manager, stops by for a little entertainment. #HulkSmash

6. The technical team members aren’t the only ones that get to work with a dyno (short for dynamometer). Another item of entertainment at Ashley’s desk is this toy dinosaur. EcoDINO, as Ashley prefers to call him, was left behind by a previous CM and now oversees all work done at the desk while sporting the MSU EcoCAR 3 swag gear year round.

7. While Hulk hands and EcoDINO make Ashley’s desk a little more fun, she can’t forget about the fundamentals. Featured on the far wall of her cube is the EcoCAR 3 swim lane diagram. Ashley keeps the swim lane diagram on hand to make sure she stays on track throughout the course of the competition.

8. The MSU EcoCAR 3 team was so eager to receive their all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro that they had to have a personalized toy version created prior to its arrival. This item floats between Ashley’s desk and the team’s project manager, Stephen Hayes’ desk. If you visit the EcoCAR 3 cube farm at CAVS, keep an eye out for the toy Camaro as you’re walking.

9. After meeting a deliverable or achieving a goal, Ashley likes to hit her Staples “easy” button. It gives everyone in the cube farm a good laugh and helps relieve stress amongst team members. An important part of the CMs role is helping boost morale among team members. “That was easy.”

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Vote on the next Official Gas Monkey T-Shirt Design!

Out of 326 designs that our fans submitted, we picked our favorite 6. Now it’s time for you to vote on your favorite. You can vote once every 24 hours. Voting ends midnight CST this Friday. The winner will receive $250 and an autographed shirt. The winning design will be available online and in our retail shop here at the garage this spring/summer.

To vote click HERE or click the image below.

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UWAFT: Why We Chose Our Architecture

When it comes to electric vehicles, design of the vehicle architecture is an area where a lot of innovation can take place, thanks to the electric drivetrain and displacement of weight from where it is in a traditional car. During the vehicle selection process, UWAFT took into consideration many factors that our team felt would most align with team goals.

The process that our team took to decide vehicle architecture considered both what we think the market wants in an EV and what our team’s individual goals are. Our team not only considered many quantitative aspects, but qualitative as well, to ensure that the selection process was as thorough as possible. Through considering factors past those quantitative ones, and adjusting each vehicle score to consider elements such as potential risk associated and ability to mitigate that risk, our team was able to make a sound architecture decision. While it is recognized that this design carries the most risk, it is the design that aligns most closely with the team goals, which we value very highly. For example, the ability for our engineers to be challenged by complex designs such that more relevant industry skills can be learned through participation in EcoCAR.

Further, our team put emphasis on EV performance, because this is a factor that our target demographic is looking for in any vehicle. Performance in the consumer automotive industry is a point of parity, and to ensure that electric vehicles are as competitive as possible, performance should be emphasized to allow for widespread adoption of the technology. Finally, factors that were previously discussed were also responsible for the decision to feature a hybrid split-parallel configuration. The emphasis on performance and applicable skills learned by the engineering students allow justification for the complexity and risks associated with this design.

To conclude, there were many considerations during the decision process that our team took to come to our architecture decision. These considerations included both market expectations and team goals. Since performance is a factor that our target demographic values, the UWAFT team recognized that this aspect should be emphasized in our architecture. UWAFT’s team goals of innovation, technology, and engagement were also considered throughout the decision-making process. While the architecture our team is using is complex and therefore more risky, it also allows engineering students to be exposed to situations in which highly valued industry skills can be learned. These combined factors, along with our love for a good challenge, is why we chose our vehicle architecture.

Check out more information about UWAFT’s architecture here!

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Team Tennessees Faculty Advisor in the Drivers Seat

Written By: Emily King and David Goddard

As faculty advisor for the University of Tennessee’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) program since 2002, Butch Irick, a research assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has helped students engage in real-world vehicle development, from computer-aided design to developing marketing collateral.

Throughout the years, AVTCs at UT have helped more than 800 UT students realize their potential in the engineering field. “Along the way, our students have had the opportunity to experience what it’s like to design and work on vehicles, which helps them immensely after graduation,” said Irick. He has challenged these students to do their best, and has supported them as they have navigated their first experiences of meeting deadlines, creating innovative work, and working in a multi-disciplinary team.

“Dr. Irick gave me the opportunity to turn my childhood dream into a career,” said Adian Cook, EcoCAR 3 Controls Team Manager and second year MSME candidate. Emily King, the Communications Manager for EcoCAR 3 and first year master’s candidate in the College of Communication and Information, seconds Cook’s sentiment, “Since I’m working in the communications aspect of the project, I had a steep learning curve to understand the basics of what the engineers are doing. Dr. Irick is able to take a step back from the technical side of the project and look at the program as a whole to discuss with our team. He has helped push me to take initiative in a field that is sometimes intimidating from a communications perspective.”

Eli Allen, a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering also understands the value of Dr. Irick’s time, “His dedication to the EcoCAR 3 program has given me the tools I need to pursue a career that interests me. Without Dr. Irick’s perseverance, this project would not be where it is today.”

But this year’s EcoCAR 3 team are not the only ones who share the appreciation for Dr. Irick’s hard work and dedication to his students. Scott Curran, who was a member of UT’s Challenge X team and now serves as an outreach faculty advisor for the EcoCAR 3 team also remembers what Dr. Irick’s dedication meant – and continues to mean – to him, “Dr. Irick was the first professor that gave me tangible insight into how much of a difference an engineering education could have in the real world. Not only did Dr. Irick inspire excellence in technical achievement from an engineering project, but he also provided an unparalleled example of showing urgency for meeting deliverable deadlines while balancing the other demands of projects and classwork. I still find myself holding up Dr. Irick’s example of technical achievements and the use of engineering principals – as opposed to ‘monster garage tinkering.’  Dr. Irick’s teaching in the classroom and beyond has remained one of the most influential experiences of both my undergraduate and master’s programs.”

The EcoCAR 3 team is grateful for all that Dr. Irick does to support the program and to continue UT’s long-standing tradition of AVTC participation that has helped advance the careers of so many UT graduates.

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Under The Red-Shingled Roof: Visiting Hotel del Coronado

There you have it! The EcoCAR 3 Year Two Finals awards ceremony will be hosted at none other than Hotel del, Coronado.

The Del, as it is affectionately called, is a National Historic Landmark with tons of history under its iconic red-shingled roof.

Built more than 125 years ago, Hotel del, Coronado is one of San Diego’s grandest monuments. It is the second largest wooden structure in the United States and has hosted several dignitaries, presidents and celebrities, including Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey, Babe Ruth and Jimmy Carter. Even Marilyn Monroe visited The Del during the filming of “Some Like It Hot” in 1959.

As if there couldn’t be any more interesting facts to add to the Hotel’s history, purportedly a ghost haunts the residence. Kate Morgan died in 1892 and has stayed at the hotel ever since. Guests report flickering lights, items moving and doors randomly opening and closing. Today, guests will find an abundance of fun activities and enjoy luxurious amenities while staying at the hotel. One can have a private beach bonfire complete with s’mores, swim at the pool or participate in water sports. Have fun in the Pacific Ocean riding a surfboard, paddleboard or skim board or just relax on the beach!

There is no shortage of history at Hotel del, Coronado and we hope you are as excited as we are to come to this iconic hotel for the Year Two Finals awards ceremony. Keep up the hard work everyone. We’ll see you in May!

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Where Are They Now: Alfred University’s Christie Swarts on the HEV Challenge and Working for NASA

From crossing into Canada with an experimental vehicle to overseeing a team charged with keeping research into space travel safe, Christie Swarts has experienced more than she anticipated in her life.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think this is what I’d be doing,” Christie said. “You don’t graduate from college thinking you’re going to end up working for NASA, at least not with a mechanical engineering degree.”

Christie, however, is doing just that as a manager of pressure systems recertification for Jacobs Technology Inc., a contractor for the NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia. She oversees a team of engineers and engineering technicians who inspect and certify the high-pressure systems that are used in research for everything, from atmospheric sciences to spacecraft and the next-generation of fighter jets.

Her team certified the systems used by researchers to test NASA’s Orion spacecraft, which was built to take humans farther into space than anyone has gone before.

“We have everything from vacuum systems to 6,000-psi methane systems,” she said. “It’s exciting to say we contribute to the safety of the research teams here at NASA Langley who are making safe travel possible.”

Christie’s experience in supervising a team goes back to when she was a student at Alfred University in Alfred, New York, where she was the project manager for the institution’s Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Challenge team.

The HEV Challenge was the third Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition of its kind. Students designed and built vehicles that operated on a variety of fuels, including M85, E100 and gasoline. The teams used vehicles supplied by Ford Motor Co., Saturn and Dodge. The design and overall dynamic performance of their vehicles were evaluated in events that included acceleration, handling, range, emissions, fuel economy and consumer acceptability.

Christie took part in the program from 1994-96, saying it contributed to her professional growth and provided valuable skills that she’s taken with her.

“I was doing what I do now, which is project management,” she said. “I was the one coordinating the fundraising, marketing, the logistics and schedules. Even though my degree is in mechanical engineering, my senior project was basically scheduling Alfred University’s AVTC competitions.”

Wearing all of those hats was put to the test when the team was attempting to cross an international boarder to get to the Motor City for a competition.

“We had a hybrid vehicle and the fastest way to get to Detroit from where we were in New York was through Canada,” she said. “We had to figure out how we were going to go through customs with an experimental vehicle and it used ethanol so we had to figure out how much ethanol we could legally take across the border.

“As an engineer, you don’t normally deal with those kinds of things.”

The HEV Challenge also meant working with art and design students to develop flyers for the team and marketing students to help spread the word to the local community of fundraising events.

“What other program in college will you get to coordinate a group of 20 or 30 students, travel with them, learn about budgeting and marketing,” Christie said. “As an engineering student, you’re kind of in one little lane and by participating in something like AVTC challenges, you get to broaden that lane.”

Christie still keeps in touch with some of her former teammates and has followed the different challenges Argonne National Laboratory has created for students to participate in. She recommends students seriously consider getting involved because of the great experiences and skills that come with being part of the team.

“It’s a great opportunity to get out of that single lane and when you’re an engineering student, you may not get the chance to learn about dealing with other organizations to get tasks accomplished or learn about putting together a marketing plan, a fundraiser, or budgeting and scheduling,” Christie said. “It’s all really applicable in what you do in real life and you may not get access to all of that in a classroom setting.”

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Congratulations, Teams! Here is Another Clue to the Year Two Awards Ceremony Venue

Nice work, EcoCAR 3 teams!  You unlocked the first clue on Twitter and now we’re sharing another one to help identify the fabulous San Diego venue we’ve booked for the Year Two Finals awards ceremony. Here is the clue:

Can you guess what it is yet? If not, no worries. We’ll post the big reveal tomorrow on Facebook. Stay tuned for the exciting news.

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Meet Claire Parker, the Assistant Project Manager for UA EcoCAR 3

Claire Parker is the Assistant Project Manager for the University of Alabama EcoCAR 3 Team. She is a sophomore majoring in engineering with a passion for business. Claire enjoys working with the project management team because she is able to integrate her engineering education with her passion for business management on a daily basis by creating and implementing various processes. Learn more about Claire by watching the video below:

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ASU EcoCAR 3 at Night of the Open Door

As the largest public university in the nation, Arizona State University is home to some amazing students, projects, innovations, start-ups, and of course, an amazing EcoCAR 3 team! ASU’s EcoCAR 3 team participated in ASU’s annual open house, Night of the Open Door. ASU opened many of its facilities to the public in order to show case some of the amazing work that both faculty and students are doing.

This was an opportunity for the EcoCAR 3 team at ASU to do some outreach and not only show off the Camaro they are turning into a high performance hybrid, but also to show youth how amazing sustainability can be through some fun activities. Members of the communications and engineering teams spent time working with youth to help them build their own mini eco-vehicles using recycled materials. They were able to spend some time sharing sustainable practices with these young minds and believe that they could be EcoCAR members of the future!

Curious about the activity we worked on with students? Check out the video below to learn more.

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Camaro Kings: Al and Jim Go Back to School

Written By: Trevor Thompkins

The Camaro team at Chevrolet is firing on all cylinders right now. From collecting industry awards left and right and debuting new variants at two major auto shows thus far in 2016, to driving automotive rumor mills crazy, Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser is quite the busy man.

That’s why we were stunned when he and Camaro Program Manager Jim Kalahar set a date to visit with the Ohio State EcoCAR team on our campus. Accompanying Oppenheiser and Kalahar was Bill Hare, a controls engineer for the Camaro, and Brad Cooley, GM Powertrain Technical Lead for EcoCAR 3, both Ohio State alums. Shock turned to excitement as we began to plan a day worthy of their valuable time.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at their visit:

No proper tour with high-profile guests would be right without introducing them to professors and department directors at Ohio State. We threw in coffee and donuts from a local favorite to help break the ice!

While enjoying the coffee and donuts, Oppenheiser and Kalahar spent some one-on-one time with our team members. It was the perfect opportunity to exchange trade secrets.

Then Oppenheiser took some questions from the room, and talked about his road to being named chief engineer of the Camaro program.

The team was all smiles after some time to talk and munch on donuts.

For the first part of the day, Oppenheiser and Kalahar did most of the talking. Now, it was our turn! A group of team leaders presented to a room of more than 30 professionals with science and engineering backgrounds who were gathered to judge The Denman, Ohio State’s annual Undergraduate Research Forum. Not only did we introduce these professionals to EcoCAR 3, but Oppenheiser and Kalahar were able to witness presentation skills that the competition fosters.

After grabbing a free lunch, a perk of presenting at the Denman, we showed Oppenheiser and Kalahar Ohio State’s Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory. In the background of this photo, you will see a vehicle that competed in a DARPA Challenge in the mid-2000s.

But now it was time to get down to business. We all knew what Oppenheiser and Kalahar were here for: Camaro time!

Oppenheiser examined the progress that we had made. As he walked around and made comments about the vehicle, one could tell that he knew this vehicle like the back of his hand. He effortlessly mentioned measurements and ratios as he questioned team members about our design.

We must have passed Oppenheiser and Kalahar’s Camaro examination with flying colors because they decided to sign our car! This was a cool moment; we now own the first six generation Camaro that Oppenheiser has signed, and the second that Kalahar has signed. Car collectors eat your hearts out!

Before we let Oppenheiser and his team leave, we had to check out the Camaros they brought down. Oppenheiser drove the beauty with the stripes in the center, but he said he is already planning on picking up his newest creation, the mighty ZL1! Some fans of the team may recognize the red fifth generation Camaro, owned by Dave Emerling, industry liaison for the Center for Automotive Research, who helped us make this event a reality. We used his first and fifth generation Camaros for our tradeshow video in Year One.

And with that, the Camaro Kings hopped into the hottest car in the lot and sped back to Michigan! We can only imagine they are hard at work making all of our wildest Camaro fantasies come true…all except for a performance hybrid Camaro; they left that one to us.

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A Day in the Life of Sebastian Briones, Wayne State Electrical Team Leader

Written By: Justine Valka

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Sebastian Briones, the electrical team lead for Wayne State University’s EcoCAR 3 team. Mr. Briones is an international student from Azogues, Ecuador who received his undergraduate engineering degree in Electronics and Controls from the National Polytechnic School in Ecuador. There, he first spent 5 years doing lectures and then one final year doing a thesis, for a total of 6 years. After graduating, Mr. Briones spent one year working for On Star South America and then while at On Star, he went to Columbia and Brazil to work for General Motors as a resident engineer. He always knew he wanted to pursue graduate studies, but first, he wanted to apply what he had learned in engineering school.

Mr. Briones chose Wayne State University for graduate school because of their electric drive vehicle program; they are one of only a few universities who offer this program.

He started classes at Wayne State in August of 2015 and almost immediately joined Wayne State’s EcoCAR 3 team. They had a booth at summer orientation and it was love at first sight.

Now let’s take a look at a typical day in the life of Mr. Briones. Every day, he wakes up at about 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning and goes to the gym. After finishing his workout and showering he gets ready to start his day. Both of his graduate classes are related to EcoCAR so he spends most of his time in the team garage.

Occasionally, he cooks his own food, and he has a special taste for Italian food, but he lives on campus and has a meal plan so he usually eats in the campus cafeteria. In his free time, Mr. Briones likes to watch car videos, especially if they pertain to Formula 1 Racing. He is also a fan of Real Madrid and typical watches Spanish League soccer games when they are broadcast on weekends.

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Local High School Students Visit MEE3T

Written By: Vanessa Raponi – Business Manager

Recently, three local high schools brought 40 Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus students to the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre where the McMaster Engineering EcoCAR 3 Team (MEE3T) operates. The 12th grade students were greeted by Nicholas Chu, a Bachelor of Technology student who is a dedicated member of both our Communications Team and our Safety Team.

Nicholas walked the students through the fundamentals of the team: what our goals are, what we do, why we do it, etc. The students were very engaged and asked a lot of great questions!

After the presentation, everyone moved to the shop to see our 2016 Chevrolet Camaro up in the lift.

Our Engineering Manager – Tyler Stiene – explained some technical details of what the students were viewing. We were very thankful to have one of our veterans interacting with the students!

Next, everyone moved into our lab space. Here, they were able to see the simulator, and Tyler took them through the importance of simulation before fabrication. They also had the chance to see a few team members – Jack Ziemba and Megan Wood – working away on some coding for our ADAS device.

All in all, the teachers, students and the team had a great time giving the tour! We love engaging the local youth, and look forward to continuing to engage them for many years to come.

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Announcing The Year Two Competition

Teams have been working hard on their vehicles since receiving them this year, and in May they will be putting their work to the test with the Year 2 competition, held in Yuma, AZ and San Diego, CA!

Competition will be held from May 16-26, 2016 and starts at the General Motors Proving Grounds in Yuma, where students will show the first stages of their newly-integrated vehicles. Judged events include demonstration of overall vehicle safety on-road vehicle safety, energy consumption, and other dynamic events. Year 2 competition brings much excitement, as it presents the first opportunity for many teams to showcase their vehicle powertrains integrated and operational.

The teams move on to San Diego, where they will present to a panel of judges in areas of consumer appeal, systems safety, innovation , and the project management and communications aspects of the team. San Diego, known for fostering technology and innovation, is the second largest city in California. While there, students will take some time from their presentations to visit local K-12 students and teach them about alternative energy and advanced vehicle technologies. At the end of the competition, awards will be presented in all judged categories.

To watch how the teams prepare for competition, make sure to follow along on the blog.

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A Day at the West Virginia State Capitol

Written By: Chelsea Betts

Protesters lined the sidewalks outside of the West Virginia State Capitol hoping to have their voices heard. Advocates walked together down the long stretches of corridors inside the building fighting for a cause that spoke to them. Meanwhile, members of the West Virginia Legislature met inside their honorary chambers to discuss several Bills that affect not only their own families, but all residents of the “Mountain State.”

Amidst all of that chaos, our West Virginia University EcoCAR 3 team wished to speak to key influencers about the goals of the latest Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition—and that’s exactly what we did.

The meetings were set and the two-hour plus drive to Charleston began early. Myself, Faculty Advisor Andrew Nix, and Mechanical Sub-Team Lead Zach Layhew were excited about the day ahead and the potential to meet with both the Secretary of State and the Governor of West Virginia.

Once we arrived, I started to feel the nerves of such an important meeting settle deep within my stomach. I was prepared with key messages that described our plans for the vehicle and a photograph of our Chevrolet Camaro signed by the team.

First up was our meeting with Secretary of State Natalie Tennant. This meeting was very special because not only is Tennant an Alumni of WVU, she is also one of just two females to hold the coveted title of the official Mountaineer Mascot. Secretary Tennant was excited to learn about how students at her alma mater were making a difference in her home state. She even placed our signed photo outside of her office doors for passersby to admire!

After spending some time with Natalie Tennant, we were ready to move on to the Governor’s suite. Outside of his door stood the American and West Virginia flags that led us into a room decorated with crystal chandeliers, plush carpeting stamped with the Governor’s seal, and polished hardwood furniture.

Governor Tomblin was extremely pleased to learn about our team’s dedication to the EcoCAR 3 competition and found the concept of a plug-in hybrid Camaro fascinating.

Our day at the Capitol was an exciting experience and gave our team the opportunity to talk to key influencers about the importance of EcoCAR 3. We can’t wait to finish out Year Two of the competition and make the state of West Virginia proud!

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