Director's Welcome

Current federal investment in infrastructure, in the semiconductor industry and in low-carbon energy solutions are creating an environment in which innovation in mobility technology – land sea and air – is undergoing a rapid transformation that is causing dramatic changes and re-alignment in the mobility industry.

Our focus at CAR is on assisting and supporting our mobility industry partners in their quest for advancements in technology that are relevant to the electrification of the automotive industry, including safer and lower cost battery chemistries, EV charging systems, high voltage power electronics and related systems that support this transformation. We are also deeply engaged in innovation in safety, connectivity and automation, and in the development of tools that can accelerate the adoption of these technologies in the product development process. How do we make sure that we support our partners in advancing these technologies and transfer innovation to them most effectively?

As we explore innovative solutions in collaboration with industry partners and government agencies, we must also address the need to develop a new workforce that will support the evolution of the mobility industry. In addition to continuously improving our curricula and engaging our students in experiential education programs, such as the AutoDrive Challenge II and the latest installment of the EcoCAR competition, we are actively working with multiple partners to develop programs ranging from continuing education to student recruitment (who then will become part of the new workforce), to re-training and upskilling existing workers. All of these elements are critical to the success of our industry partners.

Several announcements have been made recently that cover the broad automotive region of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee and cover two very important areas. One being the establishment of the significant and growing number of battery manufacturing plants in these states, another being Intel’s announcement of two semiconductor fabrication facilities built right outside of Columbus, making Central Ohio a hub of silicon micro-chip production. It is clear that the Midwest is undergoing a momentous transformation – CAR is very closely aligned with many of these developments and we believe that we are well positioned to complete and engage in continuing education programs, R&D programs and technology transfer with you, our partners. We see the next several years as a game changing time period where the automotive industry will complete a transition to the next phase of mobility technology.

Giorgio Rizzoni

Director, Center for Automotive Research
Ford Motor Chair in Electromechanical Systems
Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering