|
CAAT Tracks
May / June 2022
| |
|
Save the Date for the 2022 CAAT Conference on Preparing Technicians for Electric Vehicle Technology | |
|
The 2022 CAAT Conference: Preparing Technicians for Electric Vehicle Technology will be held on Friday, September 30, at Macomb Community College's south campus in Warren, Michigan. Save the date now to be sure you don't miss this increasingly popular and free automotive conference!
Stay tuned - our next issue will provide additional information.
| |
CAAT Director Speaks at Congressional Hearing on Building a Workforce to Navigate the Electric Vehicle Future | |
|
CAAT Director, Ben Cruz, was invited to speak at the House Science, Space and Technology Committee’s hearing on "Building a Workforce to Navigate the Electric Vehicle Future". Workforce development specialists outlined to lawmakers the vast number of sectors connected to the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry, from automotive companies and their suppliers to semiconductor and battery manufacturers to charging station maintenance and many more.
Witnesses called to speak at the hearing were:
- Marcia Black-Watson, Industry Engagement Division Administrator, Workforce Development, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and member of the CAAT's National Visiting Committee.
- Mr. Robert Bollinger, Chief Executive Officer, Bollinger Motors
- Ms. Jennifer Mefford, National Co-Chair, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP)
- Mr. Benigno “Ben” Cruz, Director, Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT), Macomb Community College
- Mr. Josh Nassar, Legislative Director, United Auto Workers (UAW)
The EV industry is desperate for workers. Ongoing education is especially crucial in this rapidly changing field where employees are constantly needing to learn new skills for emerging technologies.
| |
CAAT to Present at 2022 North American Council of Automotive Teachers Conference | |
|
Nelson Kelly, CAAT Assistant Director, will present a session on Connected, Automated and Intelligent Vehicles at the 2022 North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) Conference and Expo.
The event will be held August 7-11 in Covington, Kentucky and draws hundreds of instructors and trainers of automotive technology from all over the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting our web page on Professional Development Opportunities for Educators.
| |
Middle School Students are Invited to Summer STEAM Camp at MCC | |
|
The CAAT and Macomb Community College are collaborating with the National Center for Autonomous Technologies, Bosch, and Texas Instruments Education Technology, to offer middle school students the opportunity to explore STEAM careers through interactive, hands-on activities at a week-long STEAM Career Camp. Activities focus on the STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics). The week-long summer camp will be held at Macomb Community College’s Michigan -Technical Education Center (M-TEC) Building in Warren, MI, August 1 through August 5.
Students will participate in hands-on experiments and activities led by Macomb faculty members and the CAAT’s STEM Outreach Coordinator, Saleta McMurray. They will also see how these activities apply to STEAM careers.
Students will enjoy participating in STEAM-related hands-on activities! They will use their creativity to build a project and conduct experiments, learn about STEAM careers, go on a field trip and make new friends.
| |
CAAT Participates in STEM Week Event with Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program | |
|
CAAT’s STEM Outreach Coordinator, Saleta McMurry, was invited to present a workshop at the first ever STEM Week event offered by the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP). It was held the week of April 26 at 8 different middle schools located in Detroit (5), Romulus, Southfield and Inkster. Each of these schools have significant populations of economically disadvantaged and underserved students.
The CAAT offered a workshop where students learned to program and operate an MBot robot. The workshop was offered 3 times during the event, with each workshop having about 30 participants.
A total of 960 students participated in the event. Leaders of the participating schools expressed significant appreciation and deemed the event highly successful. In fact, participant evaluations revealed that students learned quite a bit about the many different career opportunities that are available in the STEM fields.
In addition to Macomb Community College, other organizations participating in the week-long event included General Motors, Bosch, Meritor, Cooper Standard, Ruby & Associates and many other major employers in the Detroit Area.
DAPCEP is an educational non-profit organization providing high quality and standards-aligned science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programming to youth in Detroit and the surrounding area. Their goal is to ensure that students of color who possess the talent, intelligence, and capacity to excel in STEM fields receive the training and preparation required to develop their skills and build confidence. DAPCEP believes that with access to high-quality academic experiences at an early age, students will grow into STEM leaders and help ensure that the future workplace is diverse and reflects the unique strengths of people from an array of backgrounds.
| |
$3.16B From the 2021 Infrastructure Law will Support Making Electric Vehicle Batteries in the United States | |
The US recently announced that $3.16B from the bipartisan infrastructure law will be used to support electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage demands through increased battery manufacturing, processing, and recycling. | |
The Department of Energy (DOE) separately announced up to $45M in funding to support the domestic development of advanced batteries for electric vehicles. Through its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the department will launch the Electric Vehicles for American Low-Carbon Living (EVs4ALL) program to develop more affordable, convenient, efficient, and resilient batteries. | |
It was also announced that an additional $60M in grants has been allocated to support second-life applications for batteries once used to power electric vehicles as well as new processes for recycling materials back into the battery supply chain. | |
American Center for Mobility Offers Mobility Meetup at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab | |
|
MICHauto and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) held a special mobility meetup on Tuesday, June 21, at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL) located in Corktown Detroit. The event will featured live demonstrations from leading mobility companies as well as opportunities to network with fellow mobility companies and partner organizations.
The DSPL is a physical parking structure operated by the American Center for Mobility, offering an open innovation and collaboration site open for real-world testing of parking-related mobility technologies, logistics and electric vehicle charging. The DSPL offers collaboration and a neutral platform to examine ways to improve customer experiences and the efficient movement of vehicles and goods in defined spaces.
| |
Ford Announces $2.3B Investment to Support Electric Vehicles in the Midwest | |
|
Ford Motor Company announces $3.7 billion investment and more than 6,000 new UAW jobs in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. The investment will increase production of internal-combustion and electric vehicles (EVs). The biggest share, $2 billion, will go to Michigan and will create 3,200 new jobs. The funding will support production of the next-generation Mustang coupe at the Flat Rock Assembly plant; the next-generation Ranger pickup at Michigan Assembly, and the F-150 Lightning at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center.
Ford plans to build 2 million EVs per year globally by the end of 2026. Roughly $2.3 billion of the $3.7 billion investment will support EVs, and the remaining $1.4 billion will support ICE vehicles.
In addition, Ford is dividing its core automotive business into two dedicated divisions, one dedicated to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and one dedicated to EVs. Learn more about Ford’s internal reorganization.
| |
3D Printing Expo Demonstrates New Technology in Manufacturing | |
|
The additive manufacturing industry’s premier event, Rapid + TCT: The Next Level, was held in Detroit May 17-19. The expo is a key event for Michigan-based SME, a non-profit student and professional association for educating and advancing the manufacturing industry in North America. The event is the largest of it’s kind in North America. With over 400 industry exhibitors showing off the latest and greatest in 3D technologies in hands-on exhibits and the opportunity to witness Industry 4.0 (the next industrial revolution) in action, the event is a must attend for engineers.
Additive manufacturing is “a process that uses CAD software or 3D object scanners to direct hardware to deposit material, layer upon layer, in precise shapes to create an object.” This process and 3D printers have evolved significantly in recent years. 3D printing can produce everything from small kitchen appliances to car parts to high-tech rockets, and the speed and precision with which this is done continues to increase.
The global 3D printing market is expected to more than quadruple in the next 5 years according to industry projections. The technology is not yet mainstream in manufacturing, but it is headed in that direction. Automation Alley's Project Diamond has invested $10 million in 3D printers for nearly 250 local manufacturers, creating one of the largest 3D printing networks in the U.S. The project was launched to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic but has since been used to produce parts to help with supply shortages.
New this year was SME’s partnership with Women in 3D Manufacturing, a nonprofit in California with more than 80 chapters in 36 countries. The organization strives to close the gender gap in additive manufacturing. Together, the two organizations will put on conferences, launch a mentorship program and co-author an annual report measuring diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry, according to a news release.
| |
|
Most Electric Vehicles are Cheaper to Own Off the Lot than Gas Cars
This research finds that in most states, new electric vehicles (EVs) are cheaper to own than gasoline-powered vehicles on a monthly-basis. These savings are contingent on extending the existing federal EV tax credit, which could make EV ownership cost effective for Americans looking to purchase a new car.
| |
While autonomous vehicles continuously record their surroundings, they also provide mobile surveillance cameras for police departments. | The US Department of Energy’s Electric Vehicles for American Low-Carbon Living (EVs4ALL) program is dedicated to improving battery technology. This $45M battery project has three key goals: faster charging, higher efficiency and improved longevity. | |
The versatile, solar powered electric recreational vehicle is a boat, a camper and an ebike all in one. It has a small battery with a range of around 30 miles at 15 MPH. | A planned Apple Virtual Reality car blows wind in your face, plays surround sound audio, and jostles the seat for an engaging passenger experience while driving in an automated vehicle. | GM’s Safety View software will use vehicle, construction worker and pedestrian data to improve road safety. | |
|
… June 18 was Drone Safety Day?
In 2019 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) organized "National Drone Safety Awareness Week" which was hosted annually until last year. This year, the event was Drone Safety Day! Drones are the fastest growing segment of aviation in the United States. As of January 2022, over 860,000 drones have been registered with the FAA, and over 260,000 Remote Pilots have been certified by the FAA. These numbers are projected to continue to grow. Visit the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (a CAAT partner) to learn more about Drone Safety Day and the 5 E’s of drone safety: Education, Equity, Economics, Emergencies and Environment.
| |
|
… Electric vehicles may be cheaper to own that regular gas vehicles?
A new report considers monthly costs over the length of a typical financing term (6 years) rather than the entire average period of ownership (12 years) and finds electric vehicles are less expensive from the first day of ownership. This is an important way to look at it because approximately 85% of cars purchased in the US are financed.
| | | | |
