Members of Virginia Tech’s Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) are making final preparations before heading to Michigan for this year’s EcoCAR 3 Year Three Competition

A send-off for the team and its hybridized 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in the Chicken Hill parking lot, located across Southgate Drive from the South End Zone side of Lane Stadium. 

Members of the media are invited to take part in a ride-along, capture photos and video, and experience first-hand aspects of the upcoming competition. University and other dignitaries are also expected to take part.  Reporters and photographers are encouraged to arrive early to ensure an opportunity to ride-along.   

The Virginia Tech team is comprised of about 70 undergraduate and graduate engineering students who have been working on the Camaro since the fall of 2014.  They’ll compete against 15 other teams in the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition, sponsored by General Motors and the Department of Energy. 

North America’s premier collegiate automotive engineering competition, EcoCAR 3 is challenging the teams to redesign a Chevrolet Camaro to reduce its environmental impact, while maintaining its performance.  The Virginia Tech team took seriously the challenge to maintain the vehicle’s by upgrading the engine to a V8. 

This is the third year of a four-year competition.  Virginia Tech’s team did well the first two years, earning second place overall each time. This year’s testing takes place May 14 to 20 at the GM Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan.

“A large part of the work and effort this year has been focused on making a fully functional hybrid vehicle,” said Alex Neblett, the team’s engineering manager.  “The team is very excited to see how the competition pans out this year.”

Follow the VT Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team

·         On Facebook at www.facebook.com/vtHEVT

·         On Twitter at https://twitter.com/vtHEVT

Media contacts: Emily Walters at (540) 322-8845 or emilyw1@vt.edu;  or Bill Foy at (540) 998-0288 or fwill55@vt.edu

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