High Voltage Engineers Are Key To Hybrid and Electric Future

By Eric Loveday

Eric Loveday

Author BIO

Eric Loveday is a car enthusiast with a love for everything automotive. He purchased a 1970 Chevelle at age 16, quickly outgrew its dated engineering... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Mercedes to Meet Future CAFE Requirements With Hybrid Vehicles
Failure to meet CAFÉ standards can result in stiff fines for automakers.  In particular, Mercedes... Read More

• N/ALEADERBOARD RANK
• 797ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 0COMMENTS POSTED

2011 Chevrolet Volt logo

Enlarge Photo

High voltage jobs could be the jobs of the future according to words going around at the SAE World Congress in Detroit.

Apparently, engineers, mechanics, and electricians that are knowledgeable in working with hybrid and electric vehicles are in short supply and the demand for experienced workers will only continue to grow in the future.

As vice president of Infineon Technologies Shawn Slusser said, "There are not enough people out there in high voltage."  High voltage referring to a working knowledge of the intricacies of battery powered vehicles.

Slusser along with others is working hard to find educated workers in this new vehicle segment.  They understand that engineers will need a different type of education to teach them the design differences with hybrid and electric vehicles.

According to Slusser and a group of other individuals that sit on the panel called "Electronics in the Green Space" today engineers are focused on a single discipline either electrical, mechanical, or computer engineering, but the ideal engineer of tomorrow will be multi talented and have training in all disciplines.

As a vehicle becomes more complex, it makes perfect sense to want engineers that are capable of understanding the vehicle as a whole.

Young men and women in the U.S. looking for a solid career option in the future would be wise to listen to the advice given by Slusser and the Green Space panel and pursue a wide, diverse engineering degree."

Source:  Wards Auto