Jun 23, 2014 07:29 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Ohio State University has won the 2014 annual EcoCar 2 competition. The University closely demonstrated the "Plugging in to the Future" and produced a re-engineered 2013 Chevrolet Malibu with energy storage, electric drive and ethanol (E85) fueled engine technology.

Ohio State was followed by the University of Washington and Penn State University Teams.

EcoCar is a three-year competition organised by Argonne National Laboratory and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, GM and 30 other government and industry leaders. The competition aims to provide a practical automotive engineering experience to students, at the same time, determines to enhance the environmental impact and energy efficiency of vehicles.

OSU's series-parallel, plug-in hybrid Malibu was tested at GM's Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan. The car underwent a series of strenuous technical and safety tests, similar to those used for real-life production vehicles.

Malibu's unique design attained 50 miles per gallon gas equivalent (MPGGE), used 315 Watt-hours per mile (Wh/mi­) of electricity and reduced the emissions by half when compared to the base vehicle.

"Ohio State met and exceeded the EcoCAR 2 goals at every point in the competition," said Dr. Michael Knotek - Deputy Under Secretary for Science and Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, in a statement.

"Their innovative work has contributed significantly to the future of energy efficient technology in the automotive industry, and we wish all members of the team the best as they move forward in the next step of their careers, whether in the classroom or in the professional world."

The University of Washington team created the second-best energy-efficient vehicle - a B20 biodiesel parallel plug-in hybrid - which achieved 60 MPGGE, used 333 Wh/mi of electricity and was associated with lowest greenhouse gas emissions.

Ranked third, the Pennsylvania State University team developed an E85 series plug-in hybrid.

"For the past three years all 15 EcoCAR 2 teams have worked tirelessly to design the next generation of clean vehicles and we have seen exceptional outcomes," said Ken Morris, vice president, global product integrity, General Motors, in a press release. "All of the teams have helped advance innovative vehicle technology and improve the automotive industry..."

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit