California State University, Los Angeles
IN-2: Innovation 2

EcoCAR3 is a 4-year competition sponsored by the US Department of Energy in which a team of future leaders, engineers, businessmen and communications professionals work together to meet the challenge of transforming a Chevrolet Camaro into an environmentally friendly automobile. The Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) have been the premiere automotive engineering competition in North America for over 25 years. The program is managed by Argonne National Laboratory which celebrates with a coalition of government, industry and academic partners. This unique partnership helps to drive the development of new technologies for the automotive industry while providing a one of a kind educational experience to the students involved making them more valuable once they enter industry.

EcoCAR3 is the latest in the AVTC series in which 16 North American universities are challenged to redesign a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The goal for the teams is to improve the environmental impact while maintaining or improving performance, safety, consumer acceptability and cost.

California State University, Los Angeles became involved in the AVTC series in the EcoCAR2 competition where the team transformed a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu into a parallel-through-the-road plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle. In EcoCAR2 over 150 students were involved with the project over its three years gaining valuable experience that have helped greatly as they move forward with their careers. Since starting EcoCAR2 six students have been hired by competition sponsors and many others have gotten a leg up over the competition in the job market.

Cal State LA's newest solar-powered electric vehicle, the winner of Sunrayce 97 and defending national champion Solar Eagle III, is the third to be designed by a team of students under the guidance of faculty and staff. Cal State L.A continues to be involved with the AVTC series because it believes it is the best way to prepare its students for the world of complicated multidisciplinary projects. It provides the kind of experience one can’t find in a classroom but is vital to a student’s education.

The mission of Cal State LA's EcoCAR3 team is to be on the forefront of automotive education and technology for tomorrow’s diverse and demanding world.Since its inception in 1990, the SolarEagle Project has brought great recognition to Cal State LA, helping cultivate the university's reputation for academic excellence in engineering and technology.

Goals:

•Craft a superior performance hybrid while educating the next generation of automotive engineers and industry leaders
•Leverage the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and talents of our students, faculty, and supporters
•Employ the university’s rich history of craftsmanship and manufacturing prowess
•Collaborate with Southern Californian businesses and organizations
•Leverage the robust automotive culture and market in Southern California
•Outreach to surrounding communities, schools and public promoting advanced vehicle technologies

http://ecocar3.org/calstatela/technical-goals/