Sponsors

We like to thank our partners and sponsors who make this entire competition possible. the benefits of being an NC EcoCar sponsors includes advertisement on our vehicle body wrap, team website, and public relations events, in addition to testing your product in the alternative transportation industry. Plus, being a sponsor means that you contribute to the great mission of improving the future in transportation.

Headline Sponsors

The U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory have organized EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge and provide regulation to the competition. In addition, each schools in EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge received PSAT (powertrain System Analysis Toolkit), a software package that assists in the selection of vehilce components and their configuration to optimize for range, fuel economy (miles per gallon gas equivalent), and emissions.

General Motors (GM) is providing each school in EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge a donated 2009 Saturn VUE for conversion into a fuel cell, hybrid, or full functioning electric vehicle .Schools are also provided with GM “Blue Dollars” to purchase GM OEM parts for their vehicle designs if they choose. In addition, each team has a GM Mentor to help guide the students.

Diamond Sponsors

The Government of Canada and the California Environmental Protection Agency provides EcoCar with strengthened partnerships in support of the next generation of engineers competing to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Platinum Sponsors

A123 Systems is providing the NC State EcoCar team with five lithium-ion battery modules (totalling 22.3 kWh of storage together) that will comprise the vehicle traction battery. With these eater-cooled modules, the charge and discharge profile allows for aggressive driving (discharge) as well as more rapid charging. EcoCar schools that are working with A123 Systems modules are receiving support from engineers to assist in the process of designing the colling systems and case that will contain the batteries.

The NC State EcoCar team is using a donated high-performance dSPACE MicroAutoBox as the vehicle supervisory controller. To simulate the vehicle in virtual computer space in real time, the NC State team is also using a dSPACE HIL (Hardware in the Loop) simulator box with ControlDesk software. With the simulator box simulating the vehicle behavior in real time, sensors and other hardware devices that send and receive messages from the MicroAutoBox can be tested to ensure they react properly with the vehicle, ensuring they will function safely and properly when later installed in the vehicle.

National Instruments provides teams with support and tools for analyzing data for vehicle design.

Each team participating in EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge received licenses to MATLAB software from The MathWorks for their computer labs. In EcoCar, MATLAB enables the programming of complex computer modules that accurately emulate real vehicle dynamics and vehicle components.

Freescale Semiconductor has offered kits that help educate EcoCar team members in the development of electrical systems in the vehicle. In addition, Freescale has donated thousands of dollars worth of electrical controls such as micro-controllers, sensors for use in NC State’s vehicle development.

The company offers combined solutions of powertrain engineering, simulation software and testing and instrumentation systems. AVL guarantees close cooperation with customers by affiliates and local offices worldwide

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aids teams though support and providing knowledge on various policies.

Gold Sponsors

Clean Cities strives to advance the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local decisions to adopt practices that contribute to the reduction of petroleum consumption. Clean Cities has a network of approximately 90 volunteer coalitions, which develop public/private partnerships to promote alternative fuels and advanced vehicles, fuel blends, fuel economy, hybrid vehicles, and idle reduction.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has been a long-time supporter of the U.S. Department of Energy’s advanced vehicle technology competitions. In addition to providing financial support to EcoCAR, each year the NSF provides two $15,000 awards to faculty members who have made significant contributions to the goals of the EcoCAR program and to engineering education.

Woodward is an electronic system integrator and a leader in the application of code generation onto the production controller. Woodward is the supplier of MotoHawk® model-based software development tools used by many EcoCAR teams.

Vector is providing hardware and software tools to each EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge team that are capable of analyzing the performance of the vehicle’s CAN (Car Area Newtork) bus. Vector’s CAN tools also allow each team to calibrate vehicle controllers, as well as perform diagnostic readings from vehicle controllers. In addition, Vector is offering $500 of “CAN Bucks” to each team toward the purchase of other Vector products.

Bosch provides EcoCar teams with a variety of tools as well as knowledge and resources to use them efficiently for vehicle conversions.

Sensors, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of portable emissions test systems for real-world applications. Their products reflect an engineering focus on innovation, timeliness, and quality as well as the latest manufacturing techniques.

Silver Sponsors

To help their garages with the essentials, Snap-on Tools is providing each team with a customized tool cart, a cordless power screw driver and impact wrench, a ratchet and sets of sockets, non-conductive screwdrivers and pliers for working safely in high0voltage areas, flashlight, gloves, and safety gear.

Magna International is the most diversified automotive supplier in the world. They design, develop and manufacture automotive systems, assemblies, modules and components, and engineer and assemble complete vehicles, primarily for sale to original equipment manufacturers of cars and light trucks in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.

As the national trade association for the U.S. ethanol industry, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) promotes policies, regulations and research and development initiatives that will lead to the increased production and use of fuel ethanol. RFA membership includes a broad cross-section of businesses, individuals and organizations dedicated to the expansion of the U.S. fuel ethanol industry.

Bronze Sponsors

Siemens has provided each EcoCar school with three-dimensional CAD software (Siemens PLM NX). This software tool allows us to design how the components will fit into the vehicle before even receiving the vehicle. Users can see the vehicle and power train components three-dimensionally, and design mounting systems for integrating those components into the vehicle.

Electric Power Research Institute provide knowledge to EcoCar teams and aids teams in designing their vehicles.

Delphi provides funding for teams in transforming donated vehicles to eco-friendly vehicles.

EcoMotors International allows students to use their tools and knowledge of clean, efficient, and lightweight propulsion systems.

Founded in 1994 by Lyn St. James, the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses on worldwide activities and programs for driver development, advocacy, diversity and education, particularly for women who aspire to become race car drivers.

Igus has donated wire to the team through their Y.E.S. (Young Engineer Support) Program. Igus Inc. develops and manufactures industry-leading, plastic-based cable carriers, continuous-flex cables and plain and linear bearings. With more than 28,000 products, the company markets its Energy Chain Systems® to guide and protect moving cables and hoses, Chainflex® cables designed specifically for use in Energy Chain Systems, iglide® self-lubricating, oil-free, plastic bearings, DryLin® linear guide systems and igubal® spherical bearings worldwide.

Mechanical Simulation Corporation provides the accurate and computationally efficient methods for simulating the dynamic performance of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and a wide range of specialty vehicles.

Local Sponsors

Progress Energy has provided monetary donation to the NC State EcoCar team to support the development of our plug-in B20DEREV architecture.

NC Solar Center provides assistance in outreach efforts by holding displays in addition to providing technical assistance when needed.

NC State’s own Advanced Transportation Energy Center has provided the NC State EcoCar team with laboratory space in the Flex Lab Building. The space is used for the development of electrical systems in the vehicle, and provides computers for CAD modeling and control development.

Wolfpack Energy Efficient Locomotion (WEEL) is an organization founded by the MAE (Mechanical and Aerospace) Engineering department at NC State, an organization focused on the development of alternative transportation. Through WEEL, NC State has recently become involved in SAE Formula Hybrid, and now EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge. The students involved in writing the proposal for NC State’s entry into EcoCar were WEEL students. Today, we collaborate on ideas, and shar information in public events to get the word out about these emerging projects at NC State.

ACCU-FAB has aided students in fabricating components for the vehicle.

EV Innovations is a company dedicated to developing alternative-fuel vehicle concepts. The NC State EcoCar team has a consulting relationship with EV Innovations.

Please visit Green Garage Blog and the main EcoCar: The NeXt Challenge website for more information on the excellent services of our sponsors.