By: Em Jankauski
DETROIT, Mich – It’s not every day that university and vocational school students get to peer behind the curtain of a major auto supplier’s operations. But that’s exactly what dozens of students participating in the Battery Workforce Challenge will have that opportunity to do when they travel to the Detroit metro area from March 7-9 for the collegiate competition’s winter workshop held at Stellantis’ Conner Center – the former home of the Dodge Viper plant – and the Kingsley Inn Hotel.
“I want the students to use this opportunity to network, collaborate and forge strong relationships with other students and industry sponsors,” said Ajay Gnanasekaran, senior program director of the Battery Workforce Challenge Program.
The BattChallenge is a three-year competition that tasks 12 teams, comprised of North American university and vocational students, to design, build, test and integrate an advanced EV battery into a future Stellantis vehicle, which will be announced during the winter workshop. The U.S. Department of Energy, Stellantis and Argonne National Laboratory are the headline sponsors for the competition.
During the winter workshop, teams will find out what Stellantis EV they’ll be designing a battery for during the vehicle announcement, tour the Chrysler Technology Center, where they’ll explore the Road Test Simulator, Clime Test Cells, Electro-Magnetic Compatibility, and Noise Vibration and Harshness labs along with the Benchmarking Suite; hear from plenary speakers; network with industry leaders at the Sponsor Social; and partake in numerous battery- and professional-development-focused workshops.
Plenary speakers include:
- Ajay Gnanasekaran, senior program director of the Battery Workforce Challenge
- Ann Schlenker, director of government relations at the Center for Automotive Research
- Kristen Wahl, director of Argonne National Laboratory’s Sustainable Transportation Education and Partnerships department
Students will also hear from key stakeholders including:
- Michael Berube, deputy assistant secretary for sustainable transportation and fuels for the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- Micky Bly, senior vice president of Stellantis North America
- Mark Champine, senior vice president of Stellantis North America’s Product Development
- Alycia Gilde, national manager for Zero-Emission Vehicle Partnerships and Engagement, Technology Integration Program for the U.S. DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office.
“This workshop has been carefully planned to provide the platform for students to raise issues, clarify concerns, and receive technical and project guidance,” Gnanasekaran said.
The BattChallenge culminates in 2026 with teams receiving dozens of engineering and sponsor-related awards, $100,000 in industry-provided prize money, and invaluable employment, collaboration and networking opportunities.
