WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Government of Canada has announced that three Canadian universities will be sending teams of engineering students to participate in the EcoCAR competition beginning this fall. Students from the University of Waterloo, the University of Victoria and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will compete with American teams to design and build vehicles that achieve improved fuel economy while reducing emissions.
"The Government of Canada is proud to see that three Canadian teams qualified for the EcoCAR competition," said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. "Their participation and innovation demonstrate Canada's continuing leadership in clean energy technologies."
The EcoCAR competition is a three-year program sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy. The students are expected to develop designs that incorporate lightweight materials, aerodynamic design, alternative fuels and hybrid systems. Their goal is to demonstrate a range of innovative automotive technologies that use alternative fuels to achieve better mileage and fewer emissions.
EcoCAR was preceded by the Challenge X student engineering competition, which concluded earlier this week in Washington, D.C. The University of Waterloo was the only Canadian finalist in the Challenge X competition, for which 17 university teams each re-engineered a Chevrolet Equinox with an alternative propulsion system.
"The Challenge X program has been a flagship of the University of Waterloo's 'green car' education and research programs, focusing on green propulsion, light weighting and automotive systems," said David Johnston, President of the University of Waterloo. "We commend the organizers of Challenge X and the EcoCAR competition, as well as our sponsors, for supporting student efforts to design a greener car."
"We are proud to be one of three Canadian competitors in this challenge," said University of Victoria Dean of Engineering Michael Miller. "Our involvement reflects the expertise and commitment of our students and researchers to addressing the transportation challenges facing society, our well-established programs in integrated and alternative energy systems, and UVic's institutional commitment to sustainable and environmentally sensitive solutions."
"UOIT is especially proud that our engineering students continue to prove they are at the head of the class when measured against their peers in Ontario, Canada and beyond," said UOIT Provost Dr. Richard Marceau. "This wonderful accomplishment is another reminder that by offering students innovative, market-focused engineering programs, experience with industry-specific software and globally experienced professors, UOIT is ensuring they have the skills required to take their positions as our country's next-generation engineers."
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has been a sponsor of various student engineering competitions since 1989, including Challenge X. NRCan will continue its support of such competitions through its partnership in the EcoCAR event.
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Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn has announced that three Canadian university teams have qualified for the EcoCAR competition in the U.S. Engineering students from the universities of Waterloo, Victoria and the Ontario Institute of Technology will compete with American teams to design and build vehicles that achieve improved fuel economy while reducing emissions.
Media may contact:
Bernadette Murphy
A/Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
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Dr. Michael Worswick
Associate Dean
Research and External Partnerships Faculty of Engineering
University of Waterloo
519-888-4567 ext. 37543
worswick@lagavulin.uwaterloo.ca
Tony Doyle
Manager, Media and Editorial
Communications and Marketing
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
905-721-8668 ext. 2209
tony.doyle@uoit.ca
Patty Pitts
Communications
University of Victoria
250-721-7656
ppitts@uvic.ca
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