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What's New in the CAAT Resource Library
 In April, one resource was added to our Resource Library. The resource is listed below: Gaining Traction: Advanced Drivetrains are Fueling Driver Safety and Experience This Analyst Note by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) discusses past and current all-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) technologies and provides a look at present and future systems. These systems include hybrid AWD configurations that increase performance and efficiency as countries implement stricter emission standards. Also discussed are traction control, cost, and market perceptions. Analyst Notes were created by PwC to provide insightful analysis on the global automotive sector in a concise, easily-digestible format. Browse the CAAT Resource Library |
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Did you know that we've recently added some informational videos to the Technologies section on our website? Listed below are the pages we've added videos to:
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University Bound
University Bound is a summer program co-sponsored by the CAAT, Wayne State University (WSU), Macomb Community College (MCC), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program is targeted towards community college students considering transferring to WSU or another baccalaureate granting institution. It's an opportunity for students to get acquainted with campus life. As part of this year's program, which was held May 19-20 at Wayne State University,12 students attended two days of workshops and participated in team building exercises geared at improving their college experience and supporting their goal of graduating with a bachelor's degree. Linking the two days of workshops, participants stayed overnight in a WSU dormitory.
The workshops focused on:
- Increasing academic skills
- Experiencing campus life at an urban research university
- Expanding confidence, affirming positive attitudes, and enhancing interpersonal skills
- Exploring college/university services
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Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) Conference & Annual Meeting
The CAAT recently attended the 2014 EDTA Conference & Annual Meeting, which took place May 19-21 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The EDTA Conference and Annual Meeting is the premier annual event for companies and industry professionals representing the entire electric drive value chain. At this event, participants networked with colleagues across the supply chain, learned best practices from the entire industry, and experienced first-hand the latest innovations in electric drive transportation.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard took the occasion to announce "BlueIndy," the nation's largest test of plug-in car-sharing.
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CAAT Sponsors All Things Green Conference
Earlier this month, the CAAT and General Motors co-sponsored the 2014 All Things Green Conference which carried the theme Energy Savings for Business. This annual event offered through the Macomb County Chamber was held on Tuesday, May 20 at the IBEW-NECA (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 58 and the Southeastern Michigan chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association) Electrical Industry Training Center in Warren, MI.
The conference explored practical solutions for energy saving ideas, innovation, and implementation. Conference attendees learned firsthand from Macomb County businesses that have successfully implemented energy savings measures and incorporated energy savings practices into their facilities and companies.
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CAAT to Co-Sponsor PlugVolt Energy Storage Seminar
The CAAT will co-sponsor the PlugVolt Energy Storage Seminar which will take place on May 28-29, 2014, and is being hosted by NextEnergy at the NextEnergy Center in Detroit, MI. It is anticipated that the event will be attended by approximately 100 people. CAAT Director Bob Feldmaier will speak at the luncheon on May 28th to share with attendees the battery technology training opportunities available through the CAAT at Macomb Community College (MCC).
This seminar will focus on present and future needs of portable and stationary electrochemical energy sources and will highlight the latest technological developments designed to satisfy application requirements.
In-depth discussions will include worldwide status quo of some raw materials presently under research and technological advances and recent developments in anodes, cathodes, electrolytes, separators, and other battery components.
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Visit the CAAT at the 6th Annual Michigan Electric Vehicle Show and Rally
The CAAT will once again participate in the Annual Michigan Electric Vehicle Show and Rally to be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI. Don't miss this opportunity to see the latest technology and products available for electric vehicle (EV) owners, talk to experts, and meet EV manufacturers and owners. Stop by the CAAT/Macomb Community College table to learn more about our EV Technology Development Certificate Program, and join Doug Fertuck, CAAT assistant director, for a panel discussion on EV development and customer acceptance.
See you there!
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CAAT Participates in NSF ATE Day Event
CAAT Director and Co-Principal Investigator (PI) Bob Feldmaier served as a panelist at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Day event in Charleston, South Carolina on May 12-13. The event was hosted by the Center for Aviation & Automotive Technical Education using Virtual E-Schools (CA2VES) at Clemson University. Over 40 participants attended from approximately 20 technical colleges located in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
The event provided an overview of the NSF ATE program and included information on how to:
- Get started and apply for grants
- Network and partner with existing ATE Centers and projects
- Become involved and participate in active programs and use existing materials
Speakers included Dr. Celeste Carter, NSF ATE lead program director, and Dr. Anand Gramopadhye, PI from the CA2VES ATE Center. The panel discussion helped those new to the NSF ATE program gain perspective from current PIs and directors from both established and new ATE projects and centers.
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CAAT Ride & Drive an Electrifying Success!
Nearly 250 members of the community attended the CAAT's free Electric Vehicle Ride & Drive event held on May 2 at Macomb Community College's South Campus in Warren, MI. The event was held in conjunction with the CAAT's annual automotive conference. The event was open to the public and featured multiple makes and models of hybrid and electrified vehicles (EVs), which included the Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, Cadillac ELR, Ford Focus EV, C-MAX Energi, and Fusion Energi, and the Toyota Prius Plug-In and Highlander Hybrid.
Drivers were asked to complete a short survey at the end of their EV driving experience. Interestingly:
- 99% of the 151 Ride & Drive participants who completed a post-drive survey rated the event as "extremely valuable" (79%) or "very valuable" (20%)!
- Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents indicated their perception of EVS had changed and 100% of these respondents noted that their perception had changed in a positive way.
Community leaders attending a VIP kick-off event held in conjunction with the Ride & Drive public event included: Tony Wickersham, Macomb County Sheriff, Gene Lovell, president and CEO, First State Bank, Steven Bieda, Michigan State Senate, Jon Switalski, Michigan House of Representatives, Keith Nelson, deputy district director from the Office of Representative Sander Levin, and Nancy Falcone, Macomb Community College Board of Trustees. President Jim Jacobs and Provost and Senior Vice President Jim Sawyer were also present from Macomb Community College.
Special thanks to the Bosch Automotive Service Solutions team who were on hand to demonstrate and explain the charging of EVs, and to Nissan and General Motors who supported the event with vehicles and product specialists that were available to explain the technology behind their EVs and answer driver questions.
Many Ride & Drive participants also walked through the Michigan Tech University (MTU) Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Mobile Lab, which was onsite and available for tours. MTU representatives were available to advise how the MTU Mobile Lab and classroom is used to take hands-on hybrid electric vehicle education right to company employees, students, and communities, wherever they may be. For more information, visit the Michigan Tech Mobile Lab website to download their Short Course and HEV Outreach brochures.
Media coverage of the event included a segment on Fox 2 News featuring CAAT Principal Investigator Joe Petrosky, as well as a news segment on TV Warren, which also featured Jim Jacobs, president, Macomb Community College. |
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2014 CAAT Conference Highly Rated by Participants
More than 120 people came to Macomb Community College's (MCC's) South Campus in Warren, MI on May 2 to participate in the 2014 Center for Advanced Automotive Technology Conference, an approximate 50% increase over last year's attendance for this relatively new automotive conference. The conference attendees were comprised of a mix of high school, community college, and university level educators and administrators and participants from industry, government, and professional associations, making the event a great networking opportunity for all who attended.
The conference was rated very highly by attendees. Of the attendees who completed the conference evaluation:
- 91% indicated that their understanding of the trends in advanced automotive technologies increased by a "very large extent" or a "large extent"
- 88% indicated that they found the overall conference to be "extremely valuable" or "very valuable"
- 88% indicated that their awareness of advanced automotive technologies increased by a "very large extent" or a "large extent"
- 90% of respondents who identified themselves as educators at the k-12, community college, or university level indicated that their teaching will improve as a result of learning new information at the conference
The three keynote speakers, John McElroy, automotive analyst and host of "Autoline Daily," Nigel Francis, senior automotive adviser to the State of Michigan and senior vice president, Automotive Industry Office, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Kristin Dziczek, director, Industry & Labor Group, Center for Automotive Research (CAR), discussed the future of the automotive industry.
Technical presentations presented by MCC, General Motors, and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute focused on electric vehicle classification, lightweighting of the new Chevrolet Corvette, and the Ann Arbor Connected Vehicle Project, respectively.
Click here to download copies of the conference presentations. Special thanks to our conference co-sponsors, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), SAE International, and the Design and Manufacturing Alliance (DMA). We very much appreciate their ongoing support!  To view photos of this event click here. |
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CAAT Director Interviewed on WJR's Powering Michigan's Future Radio Broadcast
Bob Feldmaier, CAAT director, was recently invited to be interviewed for a segment on  WJR's Powering Michigan's Future radio broadcast. Powering Michigan's Future is sponsored by the IBEW/NECA team (the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 58 and the Southeastern Michigan chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association). The IBEW/NECA team offers an apprentice program that produces skilled, quality journeymen who are among the best in the world. This is due in part because they commit more than 100 million dollars nationally to training that keeps their workers abreast of the latest trends and advancements in the electrical industry.
Bob was asked to tell listeners about the CAAT at Macomb Community College and discuss the technician career opportunities available in advanced automotive technology that offer the greatest interest and most opportunity.
Click the link below to listen to the podcast:
http://www.cumulusdetroit.com/audio/audio_008694.mp3 |
CAAT to Sponsor Junior Career Camps
The CAAT will sponsor summer junior career camps for middle school students through Macomb Community College's College for Kids (C4K) program, which provides educational opportunities and a college campus connection for students ages 3 to 17. Through fun activities and enriching, memorable experiences, students learn and succeed through personal achievement. The junior career camps will focus on STEM learning opportunities utilizing materials from Lego Education and Goldie Blox (engineering for girls).
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EV Cohort Students Complete Coursework and Move on to Internships!
The cohort of twenty-two students enrolled in the Macomb Community College Electric Vehicle Development Technology Certificate Program successfully finished their coursework in May. Their classes concentrated on automotive technology, electronics, energy storage, and hybrid and electric vehicles. Students have obtained internships for the summer semester at a variety of companies including General Motors, Energy Power Systems, and DTE from placements that they applied for through the MacombCareerLink job search and referral resource. There may be a few students still available for internships. If you have opportunities available, please contact Shirley Manus, internship coordinator at (586) 447-7475.
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Time is Running Out: Register Now for the Electric Vehicle Development Technician Information Sessions
Energize your future with a high-tech training program in electric vehicles! If you've lost your job or are underemployed you may qualify for FREE classes.
Macomb Community College will be hosting its final free Electric Vehicle Development Technician Information Session at their South Campus in room 301 of the John Lewis Community Center (K-Building) as follows:
Monday, June 2, 2014, from 3-5 p.m.
Save the date to learn more about this exciting program that begins in August 2014. This is a FREE event, but registration is required as seating is limited. To register, visit www.macomb.edu/InfoSession.
For more information:
Call (586) 445-7432,
Email [email protected]
Visit http://www.autocaat.org/ev/ or https://www.facebook.com/MCCEVCert.
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Register Now for the Electric Drive Vehicle Technology Short Course
Don't miss your chance to attend this professional development opportunity!
2014 Summer Short Course:
Electric-Drive Vehicles Technology
June 7 & 8, 2014
9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Lorain County Community College
1005 N Abbe Road
Elyria, OH 44035
This workshop will address the fundamentals of electric-drive vehicle development, design, manufacturing, and marketing and will focus on vehicle electrifications, road load, hybrid powertrains and components, future trends, power electronics such as traction motors and inverters, controls, and hands-on exercises.
It is targeted towards community college instructors, 4-year college/university engineering and technology faculty, high school science and technology teachers, and automotive industry professionals.
Participants completing this workshop will receive a certificate of completion accredited by Wayne State University, course materials, and a $200 stipend. To register for the course, download the application and submit it to Joyce Lien at [email protected] no later than June 3, 2014. Limited lodging support is also available upon request.
For additional information, please contact Joyce Lien at 313-577-5386 or [email protected].
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