EcoCAR Challenge

For 38 years, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTCs) have launched the next generation of leaders in engineering, automation, and advanced mobility.

🎥 Hear directly from students and university leaders in our latest video as they share how AVTCs strengthen educational programs, prepare students for successful careers, and foster lasting partnerships among educational institutions, industry, and government.

AVTCs: Education Beyond the Classroom The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Vehicle Technology Competi...

As the EcoCAR EV Challenge comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who made this four-year journey possible.

To our students: thank you for your creativity, resilience, and countless hours of hard work. You embraced every challenge, grew as engineers, project managers, communicators, and leaders.

To our faculty advisors and mentors: thank you for your guidance, encouragement, and unwavering commitment to student success.

And to our sponsors, thank you for investing in the next generation of talent and making this competition possible. Your support has empowered hundreds of students with real-world experience that will have a lasting impact on the transportation industry.

Together, we've built more than vehicles. We've built careers, partnerships, and a community dedicated to driving transportation technology.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, MathWorks, and Argonne National Laboratory, thank you for making the EcoCAR EV Challenge an unforgettable success.

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We’re moving, but we’re not going far!

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Celebrating innovation in action. 💡

The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team at Virginia Tech earned the 1st Place Argonne National Laboratory AI Innovation Award for their creative use of artificial intelligence to advance Lane Centering Control technology in the EcoCAR EV Challenge.

🔗Read the full story: https://avtcseries.org/news-media/virginia-tech-wins-argonne-ai-innovation-award-for-lane-centering-technology/

At the EcoCAR EV Challenge Year 4 Competition, the inaugural John Haraf Excellence in Leadership Award recognized students who embody the leadership, dedication, and collaborative spirit of the late John Haraf, former Executive Steering Committee organizer for General Motors in the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions.

Congratulations to Vincent Lombardi of McMaster Engineering EcoCAR Challenge, the 2025–2026 John Haraf Excellence in Leadership Award recipient, and Eric Gustafson of Georgia Tech EcoCar, this year's runner-up.

Their leadership went far beyond titles and deliverables. Through technical excellence, mentorship, collaboration, and a commitment to strengthening the broader EcoCAR community, they helped build stronger teams and model the kind of leadership that will shape the future of advanced mobility.

🔗 Read their stories and learn how they are carrying forward John Haraf's legacy.

https://avtcseries.org/news-media/ecocar-honors-the-inaugural-john-haraf-excellence-in-leadership-award-winners/