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Plug-In Hybrid Chevrolet Camaro Wins EcoCAR 3 Competition

As you’re well aware by now, Ford is working on a hybridized Mustang for 2020, which will combine electric motors with an EcoBoost-type turbocharged engine. On the other hand, General Motors is upping the ante to a Camaro-like electric sports car, which will go on sale before 2023 according to the automaker’s EV roadmap.
Plug-In Hybrid Chevrolet Camaro 10 photos
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
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In the meantime, the peeps at Ohio State University decided to put effort into transforming the pre-facelift Gen 6 Camaro into a plug-in hybrid. The team earned 895 out of 1,000 possible points, and to this effect, Ohio State University won the fourth (and final) year of EcoCAR 3. The Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition is sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Capable of running on E85 and electrical energy, the vehicle is a parallel PHEV with a five-speed automated manual transmission. Output of the electric drive unit is rated at 150 kW (201 horsepower), with 119 kW (160 horsepower) coming from the 2.0-liter direct-injected gasoline engine. In addition to the 8.2-gallon fuel tank, the Camaro is gifted with an 18.9-kWh battery that offers a range of up to 40 miles.

In addition to bringing home the first place trophy, the students at Ohio State University have been awarded $10,000 by the organizers to support the university’s advanced vehicle technology program. That might seem like a small amount of money after four years of hard work and ingenuity from these students, but on the other hand, the bragging rights of winning EcoCAR 3 are theirs and theirs alone.

“EcoCAR 3 is a great program that fosters future generations of automotive engineers and business people, encouraging them to become true innovators,” declared Ken Morris, vice president of Global Product Programs at General Motors. “This year’s winners – and all the teams – are proof of that. It’s a competition that GM is proud to support.”

On second and third place, the universities of West Virginia and Alabama were awarded 817 and 784 points, respectively.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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