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Illinois Tech students spent the last four years re-engineering a stock 2023 Cadillac Lyric into an award-winning, next-generation electric vehicle as part of the EcoCAR EV Challenge.

More than 200 Illinois Tech students participated in the four-year challenge through the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program or independent study. Working directly with engineers from General Motors, the students engineered advanced propulsion controls, connected and automated vehicle features, and vehicle-to-everything connectivity, all while improving energy efficiency and meeting real automotive industry standards.

The challenge culminated by taking the car to GM’s testing facility in Milford, Michigan, for two weeks of evaluation and then driving it to GM headquarters in downtown Detroit.

“EcoCAR allowed me to find a career path I’m passionate in and develop specialized skills that are difficult to teach in a classroom setting,” says Martin Harmon (ECE, M.S. 5th Year). “What intrigued me about the project was that it was one of the few organizations on campus that I felt allowed me to both reinforce my skills learned in the classroom and develop new skills. Designing and testing features on a real vehicle is an opportunity that most schools don’t have, and I didn’t want to pass it up.”

The Illinois Tech team was one of 13 teams of university students that were selected by GM and its co-sponsors, the United States Department of Energy and MathWorks. The team earned the Best Final Vehicle Integration Award and finished sixth in the overall competition.

“Our vehicle safety, robustness, and energy efficiency was comparable to the vehicle that finished first and second, and we were among the five cars of 13 that participated in the over-the-road events,” says Rashad Hossain (MAE 2nd Year). “This experience has helped me enter the automotive world and helped me secure an internship at Argonne National Laboratory.”

Illinois Tech Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Carrie Hall says that she was impressed by how well the students responded to the demands of GM engineers, who held the students to highest industry standards.

“Students were expected to maintain high standards by the GM engineers and maintain the quality expected of young engineers in the GM workplace,” Hall says. “It was a great opportunity to teach industry standards by working together with GM engineers. It was a great challenge to the students, and they were able to get a solid foundation for a professional career. Seeing the training ground was especially helpful.”

Hall and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Matthew Spenko help lead the team, and she says seeing the car on the road after four years of work was particularly satisfying

Hall says students from academic backgrounds across campus participated in the EcoCAR EV Challenge, as it required knowledge in engineering, computer science, architecture, business, and even psychology to rebuild the car to the standards that were set.

“I was on the team for three years, and being able to see the project through to completion left a big impact on me,” Harmon says. “It was my first experience of seeing what a long-term engineering project is like and the amount of work and manpower that goes into something like that. I think the thing that left the biggest impression on me was the people in the team. Even if we were working on different aspects of the vehicle, people frequently would help others with their tasks when help was needed. There was mutual respect for others and the work they were doing.”

Photo: A re-engineered stock 2023 Cadillac Lyric used for the EcoCAR EV Challenge.