The Illinois Energy Efficient Vehicle Competition (IEEVC) is held at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet over a two-day period in early May to provide high school students an opportunity to put their STEM lessons into practice and which helps promote and prepare them for careers in engineering, manufacturing, and automotive. As part of the competition, students design, build and test a small one-person vehicle with a focus on gasoline mileage or electrical energy efficiency. The vehicle that burns the least amount of fuel wins. The average MPG attained by teams is 100-200 mpg, with some teams achieving 500+ mpg
This is the only HMV competition open for high school students in Illinois. GCAMP has provided a grant for the track rental at Autobahn Country Club since 2017, the first year it was held in Illinois.
The two main goals of the IEEVC are:
- Provide Illinois high school students with a problem-based learning challenge utilizing the design and creation of high mileage vehicles.
- Develop and implement regional strategies for employers to engage in problem-based learning.
2017 – 20 Teams and 200 students
2018 – 70 teams (50 gas/20 electric) and 400 students.
2019 – 58 teams (36 gas/22 electric) and 350 students.
(Inclement weather was a factor in 2019)
The school’s HMV team provides students in the Project Lead the Way, autos, and manufacturing classes with a problem-based learning challenge. There are opportunities for a variety of classes and students to play a different roles in the design and building of the car. Students in Introduction to Engineering Design are involved in the design of the vehicle and creation of initial prototypes while Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing assess the manufacturability and creation of the prototypes and create a final design for competition. The car is built from the ground up. Except for the wheels, brakes, and engine, the entire care is designed, built, and driven completely by students.
Increased manufacturer and other employer engagement is a priority in this activity through their participation in the Illinois Mentor Matching Program. They provide time and resources for the school teams to build their cars and then become more involved in schools as they learn about other programs offered in the community. Corporations and organizations that serve as sponsors will decrease team costs, and ideally, school teams will be able to take part with little to no expense, thus increasing access to problem-based learning challenges.
The HMV Competition successfully achieves the main goals of providing Illinois high school students with a problem-based learning challenge using the design and creation of high mileage vehicles, as well as developing and implementing regional strategies for employers to engage in problem-based learning with students.
Unfortunately, this event was cancelled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus.