For the first time in more than two decades, General Motors and Stellantis are competing in the same program — but their shared goal is cultivating the engineers who will build tomorrow’s cars. The federal government and two of America’s largest automakers announced Monday that they are teaming up to sponsor a national university competition focused on next-generation electric and hybrid vehicle technology, part of a broader push to strengthen the American auto industry’s technical workforce at a critical moment for the sector. The Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory selected 20 universities across the United States and Canada to participate in the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, the 15th installment in a long-running series of collegiate engineering competitions focused on advanced vehicles. General Motors and Stellantis, typically fierce rivals, will each sponsor one of two competition tracks — the first collaboration between two major automakers in the same program series in more than 25 years. The stakes, organizers say, go beyond trophies. American automakers are racing to close a widening skills gap as the industry transitions from combustion engines to electrified drivetrains, automated systems, and software-defined vehicles. Programs like EcoCAR are designed to produce engineers who can navigate that complexity from day one on the job. “This is an investment in the next era of the American workforce,” said Audrey Robertson, the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “This unprecedented collaboration between GM and Stellantis underscores the importance of building a skilled U.S. workforce and promoting innovation.” Each automaker will provide a vehicle platform for student teams to modify and engineer. General Motors has contributed the 2026 Chevrolet Blazer EV, a fully electric SUV, while Stellantis is providing the 2026 Jeep Cherokee hybrid. The two tracks give students exposure to distinct powertrain architectures — battery-electric