April 20, 2026 UW-Madison Selected for EcoCAR Innovation Challenge Written By: Caitlin Scott Departments: Mechanical Engineering Categories: Students The EcoCAR vehicle platform is the new Chevrolet Blazer SS. It was the pace car for the Daytona 500 this year. UW-Madison is one of 20 universities selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Argonne National Laboratory to participate in the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge! The EcoCAR Innovation Challenge is the 15th installment of DOE’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) series. The program challenges university students to design and build intelligent mobility solutions and innovative products using emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence for engineering tools, machine learning, and exascale computing. General Motors, Stellantis, and Mathworks have joined the Challenge as sponsors, forming a coalition of government and industry partners focused on cultivating the next generation of auto-industry innovators. Competing on the General Motors Track, the Wisconsin team will be working with a 2026 Chevrolet Blazer EV provided by GM. John Bollinger Chair of Mechanical Engineering & Bernard A. and Frances M. Weideman Professor Darryl Thelen shared, “The University has always been proud of and amazed by the quality and complexity of the competition vehicles from the College of Engineering automotive teams. The EcoCar Challenge is the next chapter in that rich history, and we are anxious to get started.” This is the new competition for longstanding student organization Wisconsin Autonomous and faculty advisor Glenn Bower. Congratulations, all! Learn more about all things EcoCAR Challenge. Wisconsin Autonomous is known for their cow car! Legendary faculty advisor Glenn Bower Top image: Glenn Bower, Keshav Pachipala, Patrick Chen, and Ryan Murphy on stage at the EcoCAR event in April 2026.