Dan Mehr discovered advanced vehicle technology competitions (AVTCs) when he noticed a disassembled hybrid-electric vehicle in the garage at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His immediate reaction? “It looked like a lot of fun to play with.”
Mehr competed in FutureTruck and ChallengeX as a mechanical team leader and a group leader for Wisconsin. This experience developed his fascination with the electrification of vehicles, and prepared him for his role as a battery integration engineer at General Motors when he graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
“AVTCs helped prepare me for my job at General Motors by allowing me and my peers the opportunity to build and develop batteries from the cells all the way to a full pack and do it iteratively through a multiple year development process,” said Mehr.
He has still participated in AVTCs while at GM, including being a former mentor lead for teams and now as one of GM’s technical leads for EcoCAR 2.
“I love participating in AVTCs because it’s a really fun way to engage with future people who will be working in the same industry I am now,” he added.
Learn more about Dan’s AVTC involvement in the video below:
