In May 2010, ChargePoint was awarded a $15 million dollar matching grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy.

Additionally, the California Energy Commission allocated $3.4 million in funding for the installation of residential and public electric vehicle charging infrastructure within California.

In all, 4,600 charging ports were installed in single-family homes, multi-family housing, commercial and public locations to support over 2,000 program vehicles.

Ten regions in the United States received EV charging stations: Austin/San Antonio, Texas; Boston; Los Angeles; New York; Orlando/Tampa; Sacramento, Calif.; San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area; Redmond/Bellevue, Wash.; Washington DC/Baltimore; and Southern Michigan (including Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Detroit).

The ChargePoint program provides data to the Department of Energy (DOE), through the Idaho National Laboratory. The data, in turn, are publicly reported to help researchers, municipal planners, and other stakeholders learn more about where EVs are charged, when and how much energy is used.

The data will continue to be sent to the DOE through December 2013. Data collection from the ChargePoint America stations is accomplished via a wireless network connection to the ChargePoint network.

“The success of the ChargePoint America program is made possible by the pioneering actions of both the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission to establish the public infrastructure needed for the widespread adoption of EVs,” said Pat Romano, president and CEO of ChargePoint. “Data collected from the charging stations nationwide are informing policymakers where people charge their vehicles, when they charge them, and how much energy they use.”

Nationwide, ChargePoint America said it can point to several successes including:

• Leveraging private and state investment in installation resulted in a cost to the Department of Energy of $3,300 per installed charging station. Typical costs for installed Level 2 EV charging stations in the private sector are more than $5,800.
• All EV charging station installations were performed under the rules of the Davis-Bacon Act, which ensures prevailing wages were paid to the electrical contractors and technicians involved.
• More than 120 EV charging ports in 47 multifamily housing locations were installed.

The post ChargePoint America Program Complete; Over 4600 Chargers Installed appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Most Seat vehicles are based on VW products, like the Golf and Jetta. This means the technology in this prototype could easily be transferred to VW vehicles offered in North America, even though Seat has said there are no plans to put this prototype in production.

Called the SEAT Leon Verde, the prototype is the culmination of a four-year research project designed to facilitate the market introduction of an electric vehicle in Spain

More than 800 professionals from 16 private companies and 14 public bodies in Seat’s home country joined forces for Cenit Verde, which was established to develop sustainable alternatives for automotive energy and infrastructure.

Cenit Verde, which translates as Green Zenith, was headed by Seat’s Technical Center in Martorell with the support of Spain’s Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

Aside from the development of the Leon-based plug-in hybrid prototype car, the Cenit Verde project saw the development of an innovative smart car charging system. The system can automatically establish when the electricity grid is experiencing low demand, and can charge the car during those times only, using a lower rate.

The SEAT Leon Verde is the embodiment of the Cenit Verde project. Powered VW’s 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine linked to an electric motor.

The car’s electric-only driving range on a full charge is 31 miles; with a full battery and its 40-litre gasoline tank full, its total range is 507 miles.

That equates, according to Seat, to a combined fuel consumption figure of 176.6 mpg and just 36 g/km CO2emissions.

In keeping with its futuristic theme, the Leon Verde is equipped with an advanced Human-Machine Interface (HMI) integrated into a smartphone app. This enables the driver to connect to the car via a wireless network with his or her smartphone to manage functions such as energy consumption, battery status, recharge management (see below), and estimated CO2 savings in electric mode.

Seat said two patents were applied for during the creation of the HMI alone.

In addition, the project has enabled the development of a Driving Cycle Predictor, which analyses and memorizes the routines and driving style of the driver, using this information to optimize energy consumption and reduce CO2emissions.

Seat has taken out a patent for this technology, too.

Management of energy demand

For Seat, the holistic approach to electric vehicle development undertaken by the Cenit Verde project resulted not only in an entirely new electric vehicle, but an entirely new approach to charging infrastructure as well.

In collaboration with companies including Cobra, Endesa, Iberdrola and Red Eléctrica Espana, a system of tariff negotiation and smart energy management has been developed, which effectively allows the car to ‘interact’ with the electricity grid – reducing pressure on the grid and, ultimately, saving the user money.

The system detects when overall energy consumption is low on the grid, and sends an incentive, by way of lower costs, for the car to charge during these times.

If the car is left plugged into a power source between 7pm and 7am, for example, the system will only charge the car at times when it detects the overall demand has dropped, using a recharge manager.

The user can specify whether he or she wishes the system to work this way, paying less for energy consumed when demand is low. Alternatively, a standard quick charge function is also available.

But the Leon Verde can also return electricity to the grid via a Lear 20 kilowatt on-board charger; the Leon Verde allows for two-way connection to the grid, allowing it to feed in electricity.

Ramón Paredes, Vice-President for Governmental and Institutional Affairs for Seat and the Volkswagen Group in Spain, described the project as “the most ambitious research programme carried out by a consortium of Spanish companies in such an important technological sphere as electro-mobility.”

Paredes highlighted the fact that, “funds devoted to the financing of R&D activities constitute key elements in the industrial policy of any developed country, or at least if it wishes to continue being one. Experience tells us that those countries who have been able to go against the flow have managed to emerge from the crisis more rapidly and in better shape.”

The post Spanish Seat Develops VW Group PHEV Prototype appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Bosch Automotive Service Solutions announced an exclusive distribution and installation agreement with Evatran Group, Inc. to offer the Plugless Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging System, the first commercially available wireless system.

In addition, Bosch announced financing options for all offered electric vehicle charging stations and their installation.

The announcements were made at the 2013 Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) Annual Conference, held June 10 to June 12 in Washington, D.C.

Bosch said that as part of the company’s continuing drive to bring affordable charging options to a growing EV market, including the recently announced $449 240V Bosch Power Max, the company now provides multiple payment options for its customers across its charging product line-up, including installation.

Financing options announced today are:

• $0 down, same as cash loan with no monthly payments for 12 months if repaid in full in 12 months for charging stations with installations $1,000 and above;

• $0 down, 5 year 2.99 percent loan on charging stations with installations $3,500 and above.

“With the unveiling of the $449 Power Max last month, and now the financing options, Bosch offers an affordable 240V charging solution for every EV driver,” said Tanvir Arfi, president, Bosch Automotive Service Solutions and EDTA conference speaker. “The addition of the Plugless L2 System to our portfolio helps us provide our customers the most dynamic and innovative range of charging solutions available.”

Bosch said it will provide the complete installation solution for the Plugless L2 System. A Bosch-certified electrician will install the home infrastructure portion of the system, and Bosch Car Service centers will install the on-vehicle components.

Bosch will coordinate the entire process and provide post-installation support as needed.

“We are thrilled to launch the first wireless charging system,” said Rebecca Hough, CEO and co-founder of Evatran, “Plugless L2 gives EV drivers a more convenient, reliable charging option. Working with Bosch’s existing network of certified electricians and 1,300+ Bosch Car Service centers across the U.S., combined with their industry-leading financing options, we’re bringing a game-changing charging solution to the EV market.”

Evatran said the Plugless L2 System offers hands-free, automatic EV charging. Vehicle owners simply drive over the system’s floor-mounted Parking Pad and their vehicle begins charging.

The Plugless Level 2 EV Charging System includes a vehicle adapter installed on the undercarriage of the user’s EV, a wall-mounted control panel that provides alignment guidance and diagnostic information, in addition to traditional charging station functions; and a floor-mounted wireless charging transmitter parking pad.

Bosch declared it offers professional guidance for customers purchasing the Plugless L2 or other corded EV charging stations. Trained Vehicle Charging Advisors walk customers through a free on-site estimate, installation and inspection, and provide ongoing support including finding money-saving rebates offered by utility companies, government or vehicle manufacturers.

Bosch installation services include a 3-year limited product warranty, all permitting and even filing rebate paperwork for a vehicle owner.

Bosch is now taking advance orders; customers can call 877-805-3873 to place an order.

The Plugless L2 System will begin shipping in early July, with initial customers receiving their charging station in mid to late July.

The post Plugless Level 2 EV Charging System Distributed By Bosch appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The technology will also include a range of features tailored specifically to BMW i.

BMW Assist has been available since 2009 and is now included in nearly every BMW sold in the US.

For the 2014 model year, BMW Assist will be standard on nearly every model. It will include 10 years of eCall emergency calling with enhanced Automatic Collision Notification as well as BMW Teleservice.

BMW also revealed the following information on the services that will be included in the i lineup of vehicles:

The BMW LTE Car Hotspot already makes it possible to enjoy mobile Internet in your car today at the high speeds offered by LTE (Long-Term Evolution) technology. The BMW LTE Car Hotspot acts like a home router, forming an interface between the mobile device and the World Wide Web. All that is required apart from the BMW Car Hotspot is an LTE-capable SIM card, which is inserted into the hotspot. Once it has been put into service in the vehicle, the adapter works just like any hotspot, allowing the passengers in the vehicle to surf the Internet at high speed with as many as eight mobile devices at the same time.

BMW i stands for a whole new concept of premium mobility and calls for a new generation of flexible, simplified mobility services that are designed to enable vehicles to be linked seamlessly into the customers’ individual lifestyles. BMW i will be the world’s first fully networked sub-brand offering tailor-made, state-of-the-art BMW i ConnectedDrive services.

BMW i ConnectedDrive services as standard for BMW i models.

For this purpose, all new BMW i models will come as standard with an integral SIM card together with BMW ConnectedDrive services that have been specially devised for electric mobility and future mobility demands. Because the card is built in, it ensures an optimum connection to the BMW ConnectedDrive services throughout the vehicle’s life. The BMW i is furthermore equipped with a navigation system that already features BMW i ConnectedDrive services, and has been systematically tailored to the specific requirements of electric mobility and of flexible, individual, convenient mobility in tomorrow’s world. Examples of this include BMW Assist eCall and services accessible in the BMW i Remote app. Should the customer wish to use further products from BMW & BMW i ConnectedDrive services, such as Concierge Services, Internet or RTTI, they can be booked individually from the comfort of their home computer by visiting the BMW ConnectedDrive Store.

BMW i Remote app: vehicle monitoring, mobility planning and efficiency optimisation.

The BMW i Remote app allows an upcoming journey in a BMW i car to be planned out in advance easily and conveniently by means of a smartphone. Using this application, which has been purpose-developed for the demands of electric mobility and will be available for the iOS and Android operating systems, the driver is able to access all vehicle data or route-related information anywhere at any time. For example, a vehicle status checklist can be called up on the smartphone that retrieves the current vehicle data via the BMW server. The driver can additionally view the vehicle’s location and the destinations in the surrounding area that are within range based on the current battery charge level. The vehicle’s interior can also be set to the desired temperature by remote control, either immediately or in time for departure using the timer control. Even the high-voltage battery can be adjusted to the optimum temperature in advance in order to maximise the driving range. If the vehicle is plugged into a public charging station or the BMW i Wallbox, the charging procedure can likewise be controlled remotely and even programmed to run at times when electricity is cheaper (e.g. at night) with the timer function. Using the BMW i Remote app, it is possible to search for and select both navigation destinations and charging stations, and then relay them to the vehicle. No matter whether they are shown in the navigation system or on the smartphone, all relevant charging stations appear together with an indication of whether they currently have any free spaces.

The pedestrian navigation function included in the BMW i Remote app takes the local public transport network into account and conveniently directs drivers to their final destination after leaving the vehicle. Whether the journey was planned in the vehicle or at home, the destination appears directly in the BMW i Remote app as soon as the driver has left their car. BMW i thereby facilitate an individual, sustainable and easy form of mobility with seamless guidance from start to finish.

Away from their car, drivers are additionally able to evaluate their personal driving style and compare it with other BMW i drivers, allowing them to hone the way they drive by recognizing where there is room for improvement.

The post BMW’s i Lineup Wil Be Well Connected appeared first on HybridCars.com.

In addition, three locations in San Francisco have reopened.

City CarShare now has 239 Pod locations throughout the Bay Area.

“These new locations and new service areas provide members and prospective members with additional options for locating vehicles and they meet the demand from our members,” said Rick Hutchinson, CEO of City CarShare. “The vehicles at the new locations also include a mix of our fuel efficient / low emission, hybrid and electric vehicles to help reach our goal of making 50 percent of our fleet comprised of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles by 2015.”

The new locations serve several new neighborhoods and include:

San Francisco

Ellsworth & Cortland (Bernal Heights) – 801 Cortland Avenue

Cayuga & Santa Rosa (Mission Terrace) – new service area at 740 Cayuga Avenue

Clarence Place & Townsend (China Basin) – 21 Clarence Place

Brighton & Ocean (Ingleside) – inside Whole Foods Market at 1150 Ocean Avenue

Re-opened locations:

Judah & 12th (Inner Sunset) – on-street parking at 708 Judah Street

Harriet & Howard (SOMA) – on-street parking at 38 Harriet Street

Sanchez & 17th (Castro) – 330 Sanchez Street

Oakland

Harrison & 15th (Gold Coast) – new service area at 1515 Harrison Street

59th & MLK (Santa Fe) – 828 59th Street

Berkeley

Adeline & Essex (South Berkeley) – AccessMobile location at 3075 Adeline Street

4th & Cedar (West Berkeley) – available evenings and weekends at 1608 4th Street

Stuart & Telegraph (Elmwood) – new service area at 2412 Stuart Street

Ashby & Telegraph (South Berkeley) – 2996 Telegraph Ave

Alameda

Santa Clara & Webster (West End) – two spaces at 713 Santa Clara Avenue

The post New City CarShare Locations Across the San Francisco Bay Area appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The German company said it seeks solutions that strike a balance between individual mobility on the one hand and economy, ecology and the requirements of Audi customers on the other.

Audi’s answer comes in the shape of the tron family.

The g-tron stands for drive concepts that run on synthetic Audi e-gas and natural gas and achieve an excellent CO2 footprint.

According to Audi, the first production model to pave the way for CO2-neutral long-distance mobility is the A3 Sportback g-tron.

The term e-tron, on the other hand, stands for the systematic electrification of the driveline.

As one outcome of its research and development projects in this area, Audi is now going into volume production with the A3 Sportback e-tron, a premium compact car with plug-in hybrid drive.

With its plug-in hybrid concept, Audi combines in the A3 Sportback e-tron the advantages of the combustion engine with those of electric drive.

The parallel driveline features a 1.4-liter TFSI engine working in tandem with an electric motor. The power is transmitted to the front wheels via a newly developed e-S tronic system. The liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery is located ahead of the front axle; it stores 8.8 kilowatt-hour of energy, enough to drive 50 kilometers (31.07 miles).

The sporty premium compact vehicle offers 204 hp of total system power and 258.15  pound-feet of total system torque. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 7.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 222 kph (137.94 mph).

The overall range is 940 kilometers (584.09 miles) and the electric range is 50 kilometers (31.07 miles).

Consumption measured in accordance with the ECE standard averages 1.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (156.81 US mpg).

The A3 Sportback e-tron will go on sale beginning at the end of 2013.

The A3 Sportback g-tron interprets the principle of sustainable mobility in a different way.

Its 1.4-liter TFSI engine runs on Audi e-gas, a synthetic fuel that in chemical terms is almost identical to natural gas and can therefore be distributed as mains natural gas.

This fuel, produced by Audi at its newly completed facility in Werlte, in the Emsland district, is CO2-neutral. Its starting components are water and carbon dioxide, and it is produced using exclusively renewable power.

The A3 Sportback g-tron will be arriving at European dealerships before the end of this year.

The post Audi’s tron Family Includes Two A3 Variants appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Ford said that’s equivalent to between 800,000 and 900,000 yards in North America when the Fusion is in full production.

For Ford, the Fusion is the latest example of the Ford commitment to use recycled material whenever possible. In North America, for instance, Ford has increased use of recycled yarns from zero in 2007 to nearly 66 percent of vehicle programs for 2013.

Overall, Ford uses 41 fabrics across 15 vehicle lines globally – from Mustang and Fiesta to F-150 and Taurus.

“The fabric being used in the Fusion truly illustrates Ford’s commitment to sustainability, regardless of any geographical borders,” says Robert Brown, vice president, sustainability, environment and safety engineering. “Anytime we can connect our supply and suppliers with sustainability, we’re headed in the right direction on our commitment to help better the world.”

The global launch of the all-new Fusion (known as Mondeo in Europe and Asia Pacific) shows the goal is attainable and that Ford is all-in on an eco-conscious way of doing business.

“Ford’s use of sustainable fabrics is growing as the company continues adding global vehicle programs, implementing sustainable material standards on new vehicles, and identifying quality global recycled yarn suppliers,” said Carol Kordich, Ford lead designer of sustainable materials.

She says the idea is to one day have all Ford fabrics consist of recycled material.

Since the 2009 model year, any new seat fabric used in Ford vehicles must contain at least 25 percent recycled material.

“As new ideas and technologies emerge, processes evolve and volumes increase with other automakers following Ford’s lead, the costs of developing sustainable fabrics will likely drop,” said Kordich. “When that happens, Ford will likely consider requiring an even higher percentage of recycled material content in its fabric.”

Some of Ford’s most advanced vehicles – Focus Electric, Fusion Hybrid SE – already have fabrics with as much as 100 percent recycled content as Ford extends the eco-conscious aspects of such vehicles beyond their powertrains.

“Ford is definitely a leader and the only one in the automotive market to put a marker out there that we need to hit,” says Dan Russian, business manager at Sage Automotive Interiors, Ford’s largest fabric supplier in North America. “It was exciting to see Ford take a leadership position in the use of sustainable materials, which supported the efforts of our design and development teams.”

Russian says the Ford-driven changes had a hand in speeding up the supplier’s development plans to increase offerings containing recycled content – potentially making more fabrics derived from recycled material available to the entire automotive industry up to five years earlier than originally planned.

The 2008 Escape Hybrid was the first model to feature an entire seat made of fabric containing recycled yarn. High costs prevented aggressive development of recycled fabrics, according to Kordich, who joined Ford in 2000 and has a background in interior architectural design.

“Initially suppliers didn’t think we were serious when we told them in the late 2000s that our new corporate strategy required a minimum of 25 percent recycled content,” says Kordich. “But more and more suppliers started to increase their environmental R&D efforts.”

Kordich said that the first application of fabric in the Escape Hybrid showed that using recycled material in automotive fabrics was possible. At the same time, suppliers were challenged to develop new fabrics that used recycled content while still being able to meet Ford’s stringent quality tests and not passing along any increased cost to customers.

But with the Focus Electric and the global Fusion program in the design phase in the mid-2000s, Kordich wanted to expand Ford’s leadership in sustainable fabric development. She said she began working with suppliers to develop fabrics that went beyond using recycled yarns to encompass more sustainable manufacturing processes.

One of the companies is North Carolina-based Unifi, which had developed a yarn branded REPREVE made from post-industrial and post-consumer waste, such as clear, plastic water bottles.

Prior to working with Ford, REPREVE had been primarily used in the apparel and contract market segments.

“From my previous background I knew companies like Unifi and Sage were innovating products to further push the envelope in sustainable developments,” says Kordich. “Collaborating with companies that have the same mindset as Ford helped take us to the next level much faster.”

Still, high costs remained an issue. Kordich worked with Unifi and Sage on a plan: Unifi would provide REPREVE to Sage, which would use the yarn to make seat fabric and sell any waste (trimmings, bad dye lots, etc.) back to Unifi for reprocessing. Ford would also help collect clear, plastic water bottles and send them back to the REPREVE Recycling Center.

Kordich’s solution closed the waste loop, kept costs neutral, and gave Ford a competitive advantage by offering a product that supported its commitment to quality – and the environment.

REPREVE debuted on the 2011 Focus Electric.

Currently, the amount of recycled material in each vehicle varies depending on region.

In North America, 100 percent of the seat fabric in Fusion Hybrid contains recycled material. Where available, the Mondeo in Ford’s Asia Pacific and European regions has 43 percent recycled content.

The post Ford’s Fusion Recycled Material Fabric Goes Global appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Toyota said its commitment to the environment is a way of life, extending across operations and epitomized by the Toyota Prius Family of vehicles.

Hispanics across the country are increasingly becoming environmentally aware, and in an effort to help the Hispanic community further embrace sustainability, Toyota said it will be providing them with the tools necessary to continue on the path of going green.

A new program launched by Toyota will help increase environmental awareness in the Hispanic community across the United States.

With the support of notable Hispanic influencers, including Jon Secada (pictured), Chloe Bridges, Julian Gil, Candela Ferro, Ana Flores, Omar Germenos, Daniel Elbittar, Yarel Ramos, Gina Rodriguez and Diana Franco, and an extensive social media activation, Toyota will promote the importance of living a greener lifestyle.

Through social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, the Hispanic community will be able to follow the lives of the influencers and their adventures with their Toyota Prius, while simultaneously learning tips on how to live a greener lifestyle.

“Partnering with Toyota was a natural fit because the company’s commitment to environment echoes my own personal beliefs,” said Jon Secada. “I’m excited to join the brand in encouraging the Hispanic community to continue to embrace a greener lifestyle.”

The program will feature the Toyota Prius Family of vehicles and their hybrid technology. Toyota believes the Toyota Prius has done more to help the environment than any other car in the world.

Toyota said that over the past twelve years, U.S. Prius owners could have saved enough fuel to drive around the Earth an estimated 2,903,557 times, due in part to its estimated 50 MPG rating.

“Together with these influencers we aim to further our shared mission to increase awareness of sustainability in the Hispanic community,” said David Chung, national manager, targeted advertising and strategy for Toyota.

The initiative began on May 28 in Miami and Los Angeles.

Said influencers can be followed through social media:

Jon Secada               @jonsecada              facebook.com/jonsecada

Chloe Bridges          @chloebridges                                  facebook.com/ChloeBridges

Julian Gil                  @juliangil                 facebook.com/JULIANGILTV

Candela Ferro           @candelaferro

Ana Flores                @laflowers

Omar Germenos                 @ogermenos            facebook.com/paginaomargermenos

Daniel Elbittar          @danielelbittar                                  facebook.com/DanielElbittar

Yarel Ramos             @yarel_ramos          facebook.com/pages/Yarel-Ramos/60402985543

Gina Rodriguez                 @HereIsGina           facebook.com/HereIsGina

Diana Franco             @dianafrancotv

The post Toyota Pushes Going Green In US Hispanic Community appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The research firm stated the implementation of user-friendly authentication and payment systems will go a long way in improving EV uptake.

Currently, the most common method of authorizing access to charging stations is the membership model. EV drivers register with charging station networks provided by specific utilities. For an initial deposit and/or monthly charges, registered users are issued radio frequency identification (RFID) cards that can be used to authenticate and initiate charging at a station.

Frost & Sullivan remarked this subscription-based model is popular among charging station owners because of its profitability – it locks in a proportion of the limited customer base for a specific time period, ensuring easy return on investment.

However, it is inconvenient for EV drivers. The payment options are limited, drivers cannot use available facilities unless they are members of the network, and registering with multiple networks means carrying multiple RFID cards.

“The subscription method misses the opportunity to tap into current social trends and a connected community with its widespread adoption of smartphones and expectations for digital and real-time transactions,” observed Frost & Sullivan ICT Research Associate Shuba Ramkumar.

Besides RFID cards, other emerging authentication and payment options in the EV market involve using Short Messaging Service (SMS), mobile apps, or a mobile wallet on a smartphone.

Even then, registration with the charging station provider remains a prerequisite for using the payment options, which can be a stumbling block for non-member EV drivers.

“The adoption of near field communication (NFC) within the EV market can be a game changer in EV drivers’ experience,” opined Ramkumar. “It has the potential to provide secure authentication and access to authorised entities, and is being tested in Deutsche Telekom’s (DT) smart city project in Friedrichshafen. The results may prevent NFC from being written off as a mainstream technology in a connected society future.”

In short, a logical first step to encourage more EV users is empowering them with charging network availability and convenience of payments.

The research firm concludes charging station owners will benefit from having more EVs on the road and should work towards the easy-to-use, fast, end-to-end authentication and payment services.

The post User-Friendly Payment Options For EV Charging Needed, Notes Frost & Sullivan appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The 15 universities competing in EcoCAR 2 gathered in Yuma, Ariz. last week for six days of rigorous vehicle testing and evaluation on drive quality and environmental impact at the General Motors (GM) Desert Proving Ground. From there, the competition moved to San Diego for a second round of judging by automotive industry experts.

EcoCAR 2 is described as 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 giving students the opportunity to gain real-world automotive engineering experience while striving to improve the environmental impact and energy efficiency of a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

“The students competing in EcoCAR 2 are leading the way in designing and building the next generation of American-made automobiles that will reduce our dependence on oil and save families and businesses money at the pump,” said Assistant Secretary for the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson. “I look forward to seeing these teams’ creative, super efficient vehicle designs in the final round of the competition next year in Washington, D.C.”

After a year creating and testing their eco-vehicle designs using technologies such as Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulation, teams spent the second year of EcoCAR 2 utilizing automotive engineering processes to redesign their Malibu vehicles.

Argonne National Laboratory and GM engineers subjected these vehicles to extensive safety inspections and on-road evaluations, similar to those conducted on new GM vehicles. Each car was evaluated on reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as performance, utility and safety.

“Engineering advanced technologies that help reduce dependency on petroleum, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions is the key to developing sustainable transportation,” said John Haraf, GM’s director of hybrid vehicle integration and controls and one of GM’s EcoCAR leads. “These students are the next generation of engineers who will help make that vision a reality, and their hard work and dedication throughout the first two years shows they can rise to the challenge.”

GM said Pennsylvania State University was named this year’s winner after impressing inspectors and other judges representing various EcoCAR 2 sponsors with its ethanol (E85) plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

The team was the first to pass safety and technical inspections, on-road safety evaluation as well as run all the competition dynamic events.

While Penn State won the top prize, it wasn’t the only accomplished team at the Year Two Finals.

The second place team, Cal State Los Angles excelled with its ethanol-fueled vehicle and was the first team to complete all the dynamic events.

The Ohio State University took third place overall after demonstrating its series-parallel hybrid electric vehicle.

The 15 university teams will now spend Year Three of EcoCAR 2 perfecting their designs before the competition finals in Washington, D.C., in May 2014.

The post Pennsylvania State University Leading Ecocar 2 appeared first on HybridCars.com.