US contest to find future battery industry leaders

A three-year engineering competition to find the next generation of battery industry specialists has been launched by the US Department of Energy and auto firm Stellantis.

Called the Battery Workforce Challenge the aim is to nurture the next generation of battery specialists.

The collegiate program, which includes vocational training and youth education in science, tech, engineering and maths, will be managed by the Argonne National Laboratory when it gets underway in the autumn of this year.

The program will feature an advanced battery design and development student competition, with universities and vocational schools from across North America invited to design, build, test and integrate an advanced EV battery into a future Stellantis vehicle.

Teams will follow realworld industry milestones focused on battery design, simulation, controls development, testing, and vehicle integration and demonstration.

Argonne said participants will also learn project management, communications, teamwork and problemsolving skills that will provide “unparalleled educational experience and ready them for future careers throughout the battery industry”.

Mark Stewart, Stellantis North America COO said: “The Battery Workforce Challenge will help train the engineers of tomorrow and is a win-win for Stellantis and the entire battery industry as we address our nation’s toughest energy and mobility challenges by helping to build a highly skilled and productive future workforce.”