Overview
Prof. P. Brodsky and I co-lead Mines’ teams in DOE Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions as faculty advisors. We ran the Battery Workforce Challenge team from Summer 2023 through the competition’s conclusion in 2026, and Mines was selected for the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge in Spring 2026.
Battery Workforce Challenge (2023-2026)
- 1st place nationally in the inaugural Year 1 competition (2023-24)
- 4th place nationally in Year 2 (2024-25)
- Finished just outside the podium in Year 3 (2025-26)
- More than a dozen technical and project management awards in Years 1 and 2
- Total BWC program value: $258,100 (DOE/Stellantis base grant $147K, additional DOE/Stellantis program support $20K, Chevron sponsorship $20K, student travel stipends $35.6K, competition prizes $32.5K, Gene Haas Foundation competition award $3K)
- Additional significant in-kind value from software (GT-Suite, Siemens), hardware (Analog Devices, Dana), and vehicle donation (Dodge RAM ProMaster Van)
EcoCAR Innovation Challenge (Fall 2026-Present)
- Awarded Spring 2026, approximately $520,000 over four years
- One of DOE’s flagship Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition programs
- Mines selected as one of a limited number of participating institutions nationwide
Impact
Students on these teams design, build, and test battery and vehicle systems with industry-standard tools, mentored by engineers from Stellantis and the DOE national laboratories.
