Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team at Virginia Tech

The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) at Virginia Tech has been competing in the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTCs) for over 20 years. Throughout our work in the competitions, Dr. Doug Nelson has been leading HEVT since the creation of the team in 1995. HEVT is dedicated to providing an opportunity for students to work on advancements in the automotive industry, pushing the bounds of automotive technology and promoting STEM education. HEVT provides these opportunities to enhance business and engineering skills in an ever-changing field to students who are interested in automotive engineering, general engineering, and the automotive industry. HEVT plans to accomplish these goals by creating a SAE Level 2 autonomous Chevrolet Blazer in the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, MathWorks, and Argonne National Laboratory. During the course of the competition, engineering students will develop an autonomous 2019 Blazer that will increase efficiency, improve safety, and increase consumer appeal for a car that will be ideal for car-sharing.