U-M Dearborn lands $1M grant for electric-car research

The University of Michigan-Dearborn plans to launch a Center for Electric Drive Transportation that will push forward electric-car research, thanks to a $1 million grant from the U.S. Dept of Energy’s Graduate Automotive Technology Education initiative.

The new research center will be boosted by U-M Dearborn’s existing masters and PhD engineering programs. The five-year program is expected to support 30 engineering graduate students looking to specialize in the emerging vehicle electrification market.

“There is a great demand in this area,” says Chris Mi, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, who is leading the project at U-M Dearborn. “A lot of students will find jobs immediately after graduation from this program.”

The center will focus on automotive systems engineering in electric drive vehicles, researching areas like battery electric vehicles, extended-range electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. It will also provide short-term training for established automotive engineers who are looking to expand their professional expertise.

Source: Chris Mi, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke

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