As climate change threatens to impact more of the earth, and fossil fuels become scarce, the search for technology to power cars that are earth friendly and sustainable grows more intense. At the University of Tennessee mechanical and electrical engineering students make up the EcoCAR 3 team, one of sixteen teams nationwide that are participating in a collegiate engineering competition sponsored by GM and the U.S. Department of Energy. Their entry is based on a Chevy Camaro and the task is to develop a model that runs on hybrid electric technology, retains performance and safety and is attractive to consumers
In addition to the engineering students, there are business students working on the market research and project management. Communications majors are in on the project as well, getting the word out via social media and public relations. The combination of the different talents of team members is one of the strengths of the UT team. While the technology is what makes the car go, it certainly can't get far without business acumen and good marketing.