WHAT:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne)—together with General Motors, Stellantis and MathWorks—will announce the 20 North American university teams and two vehicle platforms selected for the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge. The four-year program, which is DOE’s 15th Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC), challenges teams to design and build next-generation, intelligent mobility solutions using emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and exascale computing.
WHEN:
Monday, April 13, 2026, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
WHERE:
Motor City Sound Board Theater, 2901 Grand River Ave, Detroit
Free self-parking in the event parking lot west of Brooklyn Street between Perry and Spruce. Enter at “Convention Center Entrance”.
Livestream link is available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/e2Zgw8KjNWI
WHO:
Rachael Overbey, Chief of Staff and Acting External Affairs Director, Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI), U.S. Department of Energy
Austin Brown, Director, Transportation Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
Ken Morris, Senior Vice President — Product Programs, Product Safety, Integration & Motorsports, General Motors
Micky Bly, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Propulsion Systems, Stellantis
Nishant Singh, Head of Automotive Technology – North America, MathWorks
Kristen G. Wahl, Director, STEP Department, Argonne
Student representatives from 20 North American universities (including one Michigan university)
WHY:
The EcoCAR Innovation Challenge is a DOE-sponsored Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition managed by Argonne National Laboratory. The program challenges university teams to apply cutting-edge engineering to real vehicles while developing the technical, leadership, and project management skills needed for careers in automotive engineering, transportation, and advanced manufacturing. For information about the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, visit https://avtcseries.org/.
Media Contacts:
Kimberly DeClark, Argonne National Laboratory, [email protected], 202-441-0096
Dale Jewett, Stellantis, [email protected], 248-421-1986
Jack Crawley, GM: [email protected], 248-219-4969
Tim Morin, MathWorks, [email protected], 508-647-3048
