The University of Toledo is investing in electric vehicle and infrastructure equipment to prepare students for careers in a rapidly changing automotive industry.
The Ohio Department of Higher Education awarded UToledo $161,223.50 in the latest round of Super Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills (RAPIDS) grants that support the purchase of equipment for students to use in education and training programs tailored to regional workforce needs. The College of Engineering will purchase an educational electric vehicle and charging station, among other materials, that will enable students to learn how to create, maintain and charge vehicles as early as their first year on campus.
Dr. Ngalula Sandrine Mubenga, center, an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology, looks on as Ethan Ritchey, right, an electrical engineering technology junior, solders a transistor. Sarah Cook, an electrical engineering technology senior, is in the background.
“The automotive industry is seeing historic change, including the rise in demand for electric vehicles and the infrastructure required to service them,” said Dr. Ngalula Sandrine Mubenga, who spearheaded the grant proposal as an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology. “UToledo is well positioned to support and advance this transformation by educating critically needed engineers, and we’re excited to bring them new and hands-on experiences with the support of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.”
Mubenga is an expert in electric vehicles, particularly the battery systems that power them, and is contributing to the development of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Ohio under DriveOhio, an initiative of the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The new equipment she’s helped to secure will enhance current instruction related to electric vehicles at the College of Engineering, which boasts strong connections with regional automotive suppliers through its integrated cooperative education program.
Students will gain invaluable hands-on experience with an open-chassis electronic vehicle that they can build, test and drive before disassembling for re-use across different classes. They also will work directly with a charger and equipment designed to train them more specifically on high-voltage batteries and renewable energy.
The equipment is expected to be available for use in new and existing courses under the Departments of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Engineering Technology as early as fall 2025.
UToledo is one of 39 universities, community colleges and career technical centers to share more than $8.3 million in this round of Super RAPIDS grants, announced by the Ohio Department of Higher Education in April.
Super RAPIDS grants are intended as a one-time supplement to the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s RAPIDS grants, and they require awardees to partner with employers to identify and address specific skill needs of regional industries.
UToledo’s proposal was backed by Dana Inc. and First Solar.
