Written by: Ashley Kronsell-Oller
Welcome to the Year 3 Winter Workshop hosted by the University of California, Riverside School of Business!
The Winter Workshop kicked off last night at the California Air Resources Board Southern California Headquarters with keynote speakers Dr. Steve Cliff, Executive Officer at California Air Resource Board; Jesse Alley, EcoCAR Senior Program Manager at Argonne National Laboratory; Alycia Gilde, Senior Advisor for Transportation and Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Energy; Bill Cawthorne, Chief Engineer of the Ultium GEN1 Renewable Energy Storage System at General Motors; and Connell D’Souza, Senior Team Lead for Student Programs at MathWorks.
Following the kickoff, teams had the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art CARB facility, which included a visit to the light- and heavy-duty testing labs, where vehicles and engines of all sizes—from passenger cars to big rigs—are tested. They also toured CARB’s test cells as well as the chemistry lab, which specializes in analyzing emissions and transportation fuels. Finally, teams explored an art collection featuring six major artworks dedicated to environmental impacts.
After the tours, workshop attendees participated in the EcoCAR Sponsor Social and Networking Event, a unique opportunity for students to connect with industry sponsors, expand their professional networks, and explore potential internships, job opportunities, and future collaborations. Sponsors featured at the event included GM, MathWorks, AAM, dSPACE, Magna, CARB, NXP, AVL, Denso, Schaeffler, Altec, Amphenol, and Argonne National Laboratory.
This weekend’s Winter Workshop is a unique opportunity that brings together students, faculty, and industry sponsors for hands-on training, mentorship, and networking. Workshop sessions will feature multi-team collaborative sessions with subject matter experts (SMEs), Technical Design Reviews (TDRs) of vehicle development progress, and industry-style board meetings where Project Managers will discuss their project status.
“During this workshop, 100+ students will connect with over 50 seasoned professionals from our EcoCAR sponsors during review sessions,” said Alley. “This is just one of the many ways that EcoCAR bridges the gap between academia and industry and drives students to develop the technical expertise, leadership skills, and professional connections needed to succeed in the workforce.”
Here’s what’s ahead in the upcoming sessions.
Collaborative Subject Matter Expert Sessions
Teams will come together for interactive review sessions with industry Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who will provide invaluable feedback to student leaders. These sessions will range from Media Training with Stratacomm and Personal Branding with Magna, to Electrical System Design Reviews with AVL and General Motors. A key aspect of these sessions is the opportunity for students to work 1-on-1 with sponsors, gaining direct mentorship and insights from professionals in the field. These connections will help students refine their skills, strengthen their approach to deliverables, and prepare for real-world industry challenges.
In-Depth Technical Design Reviews
The TDRs will provide students with industry-style experience, allowing engineering subteams to present their technical progress to a panel of subject matter experts. Each team will have 45 minutes to showcase their engineering analysis, methodology, and conclusions, receiving constructive, non-scored feedback from industry sponsors. The System Design and Integration (SDI) TDR will focus on vehicle status, sub-system assessments, and timeline/resource planning. The Propulsion Controls and Modeling (PCM) TDR will highlight a focused data review on a software feature chosen by the team. The Connected and Automated Vehicle Systems (CAV) TDR will cover lateral control feature development (automatic parking or lane centering with CACC), emphasizing simulation-driven progress. These sessions will help students refine their work and prepare for upcoming milestones.
Project Status Report Outs
EcoCAR Project Managers will deliver industry-standard project status reports to a panel of industry sponsors. Each team will have 20 minutes to provide an update, focusing on project areas marked Yellow or Red and presenting recovery plans to stay on track for Year 3 goals. This activity is to simulate industry style status updates by enabling industry sponsors to ask questions throughout the update. While the reviews will not be scored, they offer a valuable opportunity for candid feedback, helping teams refine their strategies and improve project execution.
STEM Education Event:
On Monday, March 10, EcoCAR students will team up with CARB to host a STEM outreach event for 160 local Riverside students (grades K-8). This hands-on event will introduce students to EcoCAR and battery technology through fun and interactive activities. Participants will create their own battery cells using everyday materials, construct and test battery voltage, and experiment with different materials. The event will conclude with an exciting competition, where students will work to increase voltage to 1.5V to power a mini car or speaker, sparking curiosity and excitement for STEM learning.
The Year 3 Winter Workshop is shaping up to be an exciting and impactful event, filled with hands-on learning, mentorship, and technical collaboration.
Stay tuned for more updates and follow along on social media for a behind the scenes look into the workshop.
