The Battery Workforce Challenge collegiate competition, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Stellantis and Argonne National Laboratory, gathered on Friday to hand over the keys to 12 new 2024 Ram ProMaster electric vans.
The 2024 Ram ProMaster EV is designed specifically for electrification with a unibody design that efficiently incorporates the production battery pack. Useful as a commercial work van, this application serves as an exciting opportunity for students to design batteries for bigger vehicles.
Started in 2023, the Battery Workforce Challenge partners 12 North America university teams with local community colleges selected through an elite, competitive process. Participating students receive hands-on learning and work closely with industry experts to tackle one of the most relevant real-world engineering challenges facing the automotive industry.
“The Battery Workforce Challenge students continue to impress us with their creative ideas and overall EV knowledge as we’ve seen during this week’s fall workshops,” said Micky Bly, Stellantis senior vice president and head of global propulsion systems. “I look forward to continuing to work with the students as they become workforce-ready EV experts.”
The 12 student engineering teams gathered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, outside of Detroit, this week to continue their EV learning journey with four days of learning and collaboration with EV experts.
“The Battery Workforce Challenge teams will develop engineering and manufacturing skill sets to prepare them for high-quality jobs building the batteries of the future right here in the United States,” said Jeffrey Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. “The ability for the teams to experience hands-on learning working with the Ram ProMaster EVs is essential to the EV workforce of the future and advancing EV transportation technologies.”
The competition will end in 2026, with winning teams receiving dozens of annual engineering and sponsor-related category awards, $100,000 in industry-provided prize money and invaluable real-world experience working with industry leaders.
Selected universities and vocational partners are:
- California State University, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) and Cerritos College (Norwalk, California)
- Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina) and Greenville Technical College (Greenville, South Carolina)
- Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colorado) and Arapahoe Community College (Littleton, Colorado)
- Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi) and Hinds Community College (Utica, Mississippi)
- McMaster University and Mohawk College (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
- Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College (Columbus, Ohio)
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Ivy Tech Community College (Terre Haute, Indiana)
- University of Alabama and Shelton State Community College (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
- University of California, Merced and Merced College (Merced, California)
- University of Michigan-Dearborn and Henry Ford College (Dearborn, Michigan)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada) and College of Southern Nevada (Clark County, Nevada)
- University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada) and Lambton College: Lambton Energy Research Centre (Sarnia, Ontario, Canada)
Ram ProMaster EV
With a targeted range of up to 162 miles in-city driving, the new Ram ProMaster EV is the brand’s first available fully electrified vehicle.
Two mission-specific configurations will be available, including the delivery model and two cargo models. The Ram ProMaster EV cargo model will be available in two configurations, including a 12-foot cargo length and an extended 13-foot cargo length (both with 159-inch wheelbases).
ProMaster EV’s battery is positioned under the floor in the center of the vehicle, which maintains a flat floor while cargo volume is unchanged from internal combustion engine vehicles.
Battery Workforce Challenge
The collegiate competition is part of DOE’s broader Battery Workforce Challenge Program, which also includes regional training with vocational and community colleges; STEM youth education; and an online tool for career and technical education. The program is dedicated to cultivating a diverse cohort of skilled engineers, technicians and workers to propel domestic battery technology forward.
