A team from the University of Waterloo has been named to compete in a four-year event to engineer a next-generation, battery-powered electric vehicle.
Waterloo will tackle the EcoCAR EV Challenge alongside teams from 14 other North America schools including the Georgia Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech. It is one of only two Canadian universities selected.
Waterloo students will work on a donated 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ as competitors in the four-year EcoCAR EV Challenge.
Sponsored by the United States Department of Engergy, General Motors and MathWorks, and managed by the Argonne National Laboratory, the event challenges students to use the latest automation and vehicle connectivity to improve energy efficiency, add features for consumers and help the automotive industry meet its decarbonization needs.
It will also include a major focus on diversity, equity and inclusion while fostering clean energy mobility solutions.
“These budding energy leaders are heeding President Biden's call to get more Americans into EVs,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in a media release today. “Collegiate competitions like EcoCAR are critical to building a clean energy talent pipeline that reflects the diversity of America and make room for more domestic manufacturing to strengthen our energy independence.”
Teams chosen for the prestigious event, which begins this fall and continues until the spring of 2026, will receive extensive financial support and mentoring while competing for prize money by building on a donated 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ.