August 31, 2022
We would like to introduce one of our amazing Waterloo Engineering Student Design Teams, The UWaterloo Alternative Fuels team.
The University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) is a student led team that was founded in 1996. The team has been participating in the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition series (AVTC), a program of the US Department of Energy. The U.S. Department of Energy, in coordination with General Motors (GM) and MathWorks, organized the EcoCAR Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge, a collegiate research and experimental learning competition that challenges hundreds of students to engineer novel technologies for battery electric vehicles through a combined $6 million investment. UWAFT has been participating in the competition since 1996, where over +1000 students and 14 different programs have actively engaged in developing a sustainable vehicle. The team works inside a bay and office located in the Sedra Student Design Center (SSDC).
What project(s) is the design team currently working on?
The UWAFT is selected to participate in the new EcoCAR Electric Vehicle Challenge, competing against 13 US and 1 Canadian universities. GM will provide student teams across 15 academic institutions — including five Minority Serving Institutions — with a Cadillac LYRIQ, the brand’s first all-electric vehicle, to develop and demonstrate technology that utilizes automation and vehicle-to-everything connectivity.
What competition(s) has/have the Team been a part of recently or in the past?
The UWAFT has been in the AVTC competition since 1996. Each competition has challenged the team with new ideas to apply advanced propulsion systems, as well as connected and automated vehicle technology to improve the energy efficiency, safety and consumer appeal. The UWAFT has just completed its participation in the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge, which saw the team develop its own ADAS systems and leverage Vehicle-To-Everything (V2X) technology to traverse connected corridors in a hybrid vehicle.
What are the benefits of being part of a Student Design Team?
The best benefit of joining UWAFT is the opportunity to meet students from various departments and faculties. There are strong bonds between team members as we go through tough engineering and business challenges, becoming better engineers and team players along the way.
How can interested students join this team?
We are open all around the year for students to come in and join anytime they wish. We are located in the Sedra Student Design Center in E5-1011. There are always tasks/projects that students can take ownership of from business, engineering, and project management side of the team. Feel free to come by our office even if you are not sure what project you want to work on, and we can show you around our facilities and resources to get you started on our team.