Advanced vehicle technology competitions (AVTCs) are competitions sponsored by the United States Department of Energy, in partnership with private industry and universities, which stimulates "the development of advanced propulsion and alternative fuel technologies and provide the training ground for the next generation of automotive engineers."
Overview
Since 1988, the U.S. Department of Energy has sponsored advanced vehicle technology competitions (AVTCs) in partnership with the North American automotive industry. Managed by the Argonne National Laboratory, AVTCs represent a unique coalition of government, industry and academic partners who join forces to execute North America's premier collegiate automotive engineering competitions. AVTCs provide a challenging, real-world training ground for North America's future engineers and automotive leaders and accelerate the development and demonstration of technologies of interest to the DOE and the automotive industry.
Early years
History of competitions
1988-1990 Methanol Marathon
The Methanol Marathon (1988-1990) was an alternative fuels competition for college and university students in the U.S. and Canada. General Motors Corporation provided 1988 Chevrolet Corsicas which were converted to operate on an M85 fuel (85% methanol and 15% hydrocarbons).Competition organizers went on to further challenge the student teams by establishing more stringent and controlled tests of their 1988 Chevrolet Corsicas in 1989. An important addition to the Methanol Marathon was the inclusion of a gasoline-powered control vehicle that provided a baseline from which to judge the effectiveness of the conversions.
1990-1993 Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Challenge
The Natural Gas Vehicle Challenge (1990-1993) was conducted annually which gave teams the opportunity to go back to the drawing board twice to improve the vehicle in areas believed to be lacking. In 1993, twenty-two colleges and universities from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, including five new entries, converted a GMC 2500 Sierra truck to run on dedicated natural gas. The teams underwent rigorous testing of emissions, fuel economy, performance, driveability, as well as judging by industry experts. In 1991, only three teams earned points in the emissions event whereas in 1993 eleven teams met or exceeded the current federal emissions standards. Seven teams did better than CARB TLEV emissions standards, and three teams met the CARB ULEV standards. The University of Texas - El Paso vehicle (a first year entry) tested less than 1/2 of the ULEV standard. The average EPA combined fuel economy (from both the city and hwy. tests) went from in 1991 to in 1992 to in 1993.
1992-1995 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Challenge
The Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Challenge (1992-1995), was an intercollegiate competition created by the U.S. DOE and SAE. The HEV Challenge began in 1993 with 18 Ford Escort Wagons and 12 Ground-Up vehicles; twelve Saturn SL2 sedans were added in 1994, and twelve Neons were added in the 1995 HEV Challenge. The HEV Challenge consisted of events in which vehicle designs and overall dynamic performance were evaluated. The events included acceleration, handling, range, emissions, fuel economy, consumer acceptability, engineering design review, and technical reports. All three HEV Challenges represented the most ambitious and difficult engineering research competitions to date. Although they showed that HEV technology is still developing, these competitions set performance benchmarks and established testing procedures that will affect the engineering community far after the last event was completed.
1995-1997 Propane Vehicle Challenge
The Propane Vehicle Challenge (1995-1997) began with conventional 1996 Chrysler minivan platforms, twelve college teams developed dedicated propane vehicles, while maintaining the performance that consumers expected from gasoline vehicles. The winning entries met the range goal of at least 250 miles with no problem, and the University of Texas-El Paso entry achieved an incredible estimated range of 716 miles upon refueling. 17 colleges and universities participated in the 1997 PVC with some teams using the 1996 Chrysler minivans or Dodge Dakota pickup trucks. For the first time, an award was given for the best component to the University of Texas at El Paso for the development of fuel-distribution spiders. This is a novel fuel-rail design that ensures equal distribution (temperature and pressure) of liquid-phase LPG to each fuel injector.