IRES: Cultural Awareness and Research Experiences for Electric Vehicles (CARE-EV) Program

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

The transportation sector is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Electric vehicles (EVs) are a key technology to reduce pollution from transportation and demand for EVs has been increasing in response to consumer health and environmental concerns, greater vehicle choice and safety features, improved battery capacity, and cost savings. The adoption of EVs and deployment of charging facilities both require advanced system-level integration and awareness, including models of the interactions and operations of the transportation and electric power systems. This IRES project supports U.S. graduate and undergraduate students to engage in a 10-week summer international research experience related to transportation electrification at the University of Aukland (UoA) in New Zealand, which builds upon an existing partnership between the Advancing Sustainability in Powered Infrastructure and Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE) Engineering Research Center (ERC) and UoA’s Transportation Research Center, to accelerate the adoption of EVs through wireless technologies. The Cultural Awareness and Research Experiences for Electric Vehicles (CARE-EV) IRES project prepares students to engage in research on a global scale that utilizes core international partner the University of Auckland (UoA) in New Zealand. This objective is accomplished through an international partnership between ASPIRE and the UoA, where the theme of the program and collaboration is “Advancing charging technology and infrastructure for a sustainable transportation future.” The CARE-EV IRES project supports the U.S. students’ summer research activities at UoA, where they have the opportunity to engage with leading faculty to gain research experiences, educational enrichment, and participate in innovative exploration centered around convergent research projects on high- and low-power wireless EV charging infrastructure that will enable future EV charging stations and in-motion charging through electrified roadways. In addition to engaging in research, students participate in national experiences while in New Zealand, as well as workforce development, professional development, and academic writing opportunities. These experiences help students understand the societal impact of their research, recognize the value of ethical practices, and understand the history of New Zealand. These activities provide students with experiences that instill an ability to recognize the need for research with societal impact, to learn from and engage with a range of stakeholders to identify societal needs for transportation electrification solutions, and to perform convergent research that considers interdisciplinary, social, and educational aspects of local and global transportation electrification solutions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.