Ford, UDM Retrain Automotive Engineers to Compete in New Era of Electric Vehicles Page 2

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Kuzak added that the magnitude of the training program will be similar to the educational programs undertaken by Ford during the late 1980s when mechanical engineers were trained on electrical engineering.

The UDM Advanced Electric Vehicle Program will begin with the first group comprised of current engineers from Ford and its suppliers. Team members will apply the program's coursework in developing the next generation of electric and hybrid vehicles. Approximately 125 Ford engineers will participate in the program over the next several years.

"We recognize a greater need for our teams to have access to programs to increase their knowledge of electrical, mechanical, chemical and software engineering," said Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of Global Electrification. "Ford has a large team of talented and dedicated engineers that are energized by the technological sea change we are seeing happen now in the industry."

The UDM courses are supplementary to Ford's internal online training programs in battery cells and electrochemistry, power-split controls, regenerative braking, calibration and commodity planning.

UDM has created seven new courses that are directly responsive to the training needs of Ford and the entire automotive and defense ground vehicles industries, said Dr. Leo E. Hanifin, dean of UDM's College of Engineering & Science.

"The competencies achieved by these courses will enable teams from automotive OEMs and suppliers to develop the electric and hybrid vehicles that will keep the global leadership of the auto industry for this critical segment of the world's transportation future right here in southeastern Michigan," said Hanifin.

Engineers in this program will select five of the seven newly created courses that are designed by competency teams of Ford and UDM experts to deploy the most current technology, strategies, methods and tools emerging from universities, corporations and national laboratories.

These five courses will be completed in one calendar year. Most courses will be offered at the Ford Training and Development Center in Dearborn; others requiring laboratory experiences will be provided at UDM's McNichols campus in Detroit. The Advanced Electric Vehicle Program courses include:

• Introduction to Advanced Electric Vehicles
• Controls Modeling and Design for Electric Vehicles
• Energy Storage Systems
• Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles
• Electric Drives/Electromechanical Energy Conversion
• Innovation and System Architecture for Electric Vehicles
• System Engineering for Electric Vehicles

For more information about UDM, please contact Duane Spytman at 313.993.3378, spytmada@udmercy.edu; or Val Glisson at 313.993.1128, glissovs@udmercy.edu.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company ( F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 200,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

About The University of Detroit Mercy

The University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan's largest private Catholic University, with approximately 100 academic majors and programs. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy, the University has campuses located in downtown and northwest Detroit. UDM is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and the largest of 18 Mercy institutions of higher education in the United States.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company