Ford, UDM Retrain Automotive Engineers to Compete in New Era of Electric Vehicles

By Jason Hendler

Jason Hendler

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I started out in the automotive industry as a General Motors Scholar attending the University of Detroit, studying Internal Combustion Engines and... More

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My alma mater, the University of Detroit Mercy, has now partnered with Ford to retrain automotive engineers to develop electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.  While this training program was developed to support Ford's desire to prepare their engineers for future EV / HEV developments, the program is NOT EXCLUSIVE to Ford employees, so any individual may attend with private / public / corporate funding.

The University of Detroit Mercy has always catered to the automotive industry's needs, from preparing undergraduate and graduate students to work in the auto industry, to offering advanced coursework and seminars to automotive industry employees that fit their busy schedules.  This new offering is just the latest in a long history of adapting to the changing needs of the local automakers.

View the press release at the University of Detroit Mercy website here, or read it below:

PRESS RELEASE:

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

• Ford Motor Company has joined forces with the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) to retrain traditional automotive engineers to develop electric vehicles of the future

• Ford and UDM created the Advanced Electric Vehicle Program, a graduate-level curriculum that emphasizes core electric and hybrid vehicle engineering expertise, such as power electronics, power flow, energy management and system architecture

• Ford is retraining engineers to meet the growth in demand for hybrid and electric vehicles; Ford has announced plans to deliver four new electrified vehicles by 2012, including an electric Transit Connect van next year, an electric Focus compact in 2011 and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and next-generation hybrid vehicle in 2012

• The UDM program developed with Ford will be open to engineers across the automotive and defense industries

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is teaming with the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) to retrain traditional automotive engineers, providing them with the skills and expertise to develop the next generation of advanced electric and hybrid vehicles.

As vehicle electrification plans expand, the automotive industry's need for electric vehicle-savvy engineers also is growing, creating increased demand for electrical, mechatronics, systems and controls engineering education. Ford and UDM have collaborated to create a new graduate-level curriculum focused on key engineering skills for the development of electrified vehicles.

The UDM program will supplement Ford's internal electrical engineering training courses as the company retrains its own employees to deliver an aggressive electric vehicle product strategy. The course series, which begins in January 2010, is designed to advance the knowledge and capabilities of technological team members in the automotive and defense ground vehicle industries.

"The era of electric vehicles is here and it's critical that we meet this technology challenge by retraining our engineers with a broad range of new skills and competencies," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. "This program, together with internal training, will support Ford's aggressive plans to roll out electric and hybrid vehicles in the coming years."

Ford engineers are already at work developing three distinct types of electrified vehicles - hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure battery electric vehicles. The vehicles include:

• Transit Connect battery electric commercial van in 2010
• Focus battery electric passenger car in 2011
• Next-generation hybrid vehicle in 2012
• Plug-in hybrid in 2012