Ohio State University won the overall team
championship at the “EcoCAR 2: Plugging
In to the Future” event, a three-year
competition managed by Argonne National
Laboratory and sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Energy, GM and 30 other
government and industry leaders.
The competition provided students real-
world automotive engineering experience
whi l e they str ived to improve the
environmental impact and energy efficiency
of a 2013 Chevrolet
Ma l ibu. Ohio State ’s
veh i c l e wi th ene r g y
storage, electric drive and
ethanol (E85) fueled
engine technology met
incremental goals that
strengthened its position
against other university
teams. The series-parallel
plug-in hybrid Malibu
excelled at GM's Proving
Grounds in M i l f o r d ,
Mich., where it was put
t hr oug h a s e r i e s o f
strenuous technical and
safety tests similar to those used for real-
worldproduction vehicles.
“The EcoCAR 2 competition has been an
incredible journey and learning experience
for everyone at Ohio State, and that's what
really matters – winning the top spot is just a
bonus," Ohio State’s Katherine Bovee said.
"We are all excited to take everything we have
learned into theworkplace after graduation."
The team's design achieved 50 miles per
gallon gas equivalent while using 315 watt-
hours per mile of electricity. The vehicle had
stellar numbers and lessened the amount of
criteria emissions by half, compared to the
base vehicle.
"Ohio Statemet and exceeded the EcoCAR2
goals at every point in the competition," said
Dr. Michael Knotek,deputy under-secretary
for science and energ y for the U.S.
Department of Energy. "Their innovative
work has contributed significantly to the
future of energy efficient technology in the
automotive industry, and we wish all
members of the team the best as they move
forward in the next step of their careers,
whether in the classroom or in the
June-July 2014
| BusinessWorld | 13
