EcoCAR Challenge and Freescale Help Next Generation of Automotive Engineers Spark Green Innovation

AUSTIN, Texas--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Freescale Semiconductor has signed on as a platinum sponsor for the three-year collegiate engineering competition, EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge. As a platinum sponsor, Freescale plans to donate more than $1.2 million in advanced technology and resources to help improve the design and development of environmentally friendly vehicles. The EcoCAR Challenge was established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM) to challenge 17 North American universities to redesign and re-engineer the 2009 Saturn VUE to minimize fuel consumption and significantly reduce harmful emissions.

“The EcoCAR Challenge is an ideal platform to help young engineers bring forward-thinking concepts to the automotive industry and make a positive impact at a time when the industry needs fresh innovations”

EcoCAR’s newly launched Green Garage, an online portal that gives an inside look into each team’s “garage,” provides insight into the 17 competing teams and the latest news, updates and announcements about the competition. The Green Garage made its inaugural debut on Feb. 3 at the 2009 Washington Auto Show where the teams rolled out their initial EcoCAR Challenge designs.

Freescale involvement

Freescale’s dedication to spurring advancement in innovative design and development in the automotive industry builds on its previous sponsorship of the Challenge X competition. This four-year design challenge concluded in 2008 with the winning team achieving a 48 percent reduction in fuel consumption. Participating teams in the EcoCAR Challenge will leverage hybrid-enabling technology provided by Freescale. Specifically, each team will receive a suite of development tools valued at more than $500,000 containing approximately 100 items. The teams also received 8-bit S08DZ60 development boards provided to them during a Freescale training session in September 2008. In addition to the development tools and financial support, Freescale plans to offer participating students technical mentoring in ways to effectively balance drivetrain performance with new green design demands.

“The EcoCAR Challenge is an ideal platform to help young engineers bring forward-thinking concepts to the automotive industry and make a positive impact at a time when the industry needs fresh innovations,” said Ray Cornyn, director of automotive microcontrollers at Freescale. “As a leader in automotive semiconductor technology, we believe it’s imperative to dedicate our resources to advancing the future of green automotive design through our on-going commitment to education and the development of next-generation hybrid technology.”

Silicon on the Move Award

Freescale will award the team that exhibits the best use of microcontroller hardware, software, sensors, and analog technologies in their competitive designs. In addition to awarding technological innovation, Freescale also will recognize promotional efforts around the winning design. Freescale’s awards include a cash prize and sponsorship to attend the Freescale Technology Forum in June 2009. The winners’ entries are expected to be based on creativity in using silicon and software in novel ways to solve complex technical challenges.

Freescale’s green automotive initiatives extend beyond the EcoCAR Challenge. Additional initiatives include:

Automotive technology development collaborations with Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Chery Automobile Co., Ltd (both in China), which include technology for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs)
Advanced MCU technology for:

The complete hybrid drivetrain used in General Motor’s Chevy Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid
Motorcycle fuel injection systems designed to help reduce harmful emissions by 65 percent and increase fuel economy by 12 percent.

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About The EcoCAR Challenge

Students will design and build advanced propulsion solutions that are based on the vehicle categories from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) regulations. Students will be encouraged to explore a variety of solutions including electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cells. In addition, they will incorporate lightweight materials, improve aerodynamics and utilize alternative fuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen.

Freescale University Programs

Freescale’s commitment to today’s and tomorrow’s engineers goes beyond The EcoCAR Challenge. Freescale’s University Programs engage with engineering students and faculty members across the globe to teach and learn from the engineers of tomorrow. The University Programs focus on providing educators and students with the resources needed to excel in classroom environments. The programs also emphasize collaboration with research consortia and leading universities to develop future semiconductor technologies and achieve breakthrough innovations. The University Programs provide researchers and students with a rich experience and first-hand knowledge of working in the sciences.

About the Freescale Technology Forum

Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) events around the world bring the Freescale ecosystem together under one roof to create a unique environment of collaboration and innovation. The Forum has been enthusiastically received by the global developer community, drawing more than 28,000 attendees worldwide since its 2005 inception. For the latest information, please visit: www.freescale.com/FTF.

About Freescale Semiconductor

Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. The privately held company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations around the world. www.freescale.com.

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