The University of Tennessee has been selected to participate in the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, a four-year collegiate competition aimed at developing next-generation, energy-efficient and intelligent mobility solutions using emerging technologies.
Administered by Argonne National Laboratory, the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge is the 15th installment of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) series. The challenge aspires to push innovation and develop the future automotive workforce.
UT was one of 20 universities from across North America selected for the latest installment of the competition, which runs from the fall of 2026 through the spring of 2030. Since 1988, the Tickle College of Engineering has taken part in 11 of the AVTC events. Over that span, more than 1,000 UT students have participated in the unique design experience.
UT will field a collaborative team of students from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). MAE Associate Professors Pingen Chen and Subhadeep Chakraborty, and EECS Gonzalez Family Professor Hairong Qi are the faculty advisors.
Automakers General Motors and Stellantis are each sponsoring a separate competition track in the event to provide students with different engineering challenges and vehicle platforms that are designed to reflect real-world market choices. GM is supplying a 2026 Chevrolet Blazer EV and Stellantis is providing a 2026 Jeep Cherokee hybrid. UT was chosen for the Stellantis Track.
“At the University of Tennessee, we integrate hands-on education with real-world engineering to prepare students for the future mobility workforce,” Chen said. “Through the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge with Stellantis, our team will develop hybrid electrification and human–machine interaction solutions that are technically rigorous and adaptable to diverse environments, including rural and off-road applications.”
The UT team will be tasked with developing next-generation, energy-efficient, and intelligent mobility solutions and innovative products from concept to potential commercialization. The students will utilize emerging technologies, such as AI/ML and exascale computing.
“Being part of EcoCAR gives me a unique chance to work hands-on with real vehicle systems while collaborating with a leading OEM,” said team leader Adry Lain, a mechanical engineering PhD student. “It’s an exciting way to bridge my research with real-world impact from the very start of my PhD.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (rpotkey@utk.edu)