FCA, Mcmaster honoured for new research findings
Cutting-edge work has been used to refine Windsor-built Hybrid minivan
A joint research project between FCA and Mcmaster University that developed cutting-edge technology now being used in the Windsor-built Pacifica Hybrid minivan has been honoured this week with a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council award.
FCA and Mcmaster earned the Synergy Award for Innovation in the larger corporation category from the federal agency for their electrified “Car of the Future” project.
“We've won other awards, but this one is really prestigious because of the magnitude of the award,” said Tony Mancina, FCA'S head of Canada Engineering at the company's Automotive Research and Development Centre in Windsor.
“It really is a testament to what our company is committed to — electric powertrains and propulsion systems and it bodes well for our future products.
“It also reinforces the talent southwestern Ontario is able to provide to our industry. We have the capacity, the competency and the university partners to really support what we want to do as a company.”
The research focused on developing next-generation, energy-efficient, new technologies, high- performance electrified powertrains and powertrain components.
Among the advancements and improvements developed were a high-power inverter prototype, a tractor motor and improved powertrain operation through an optimized drive unit design.
Mancina said the automaker has deployed the technologies, which will also lead to lower consumer costs, into current and future product lines.
Originally aimed at making the Pacific the only plug-in hybrid minivan on the market, the technology has since been employed in the electric Fiat 500 and two other vehicles the company is selling in the European market.
The new electrified Jeep Wrangler will also incorporate what has been developed.
“The technology is fundamental and will be and has been applied in our other products,” Mancina said.
Mcmaster will receive a $200,000 NSERC research grant for winning the award while FCA gets a $30,000 voucher valid toward the cash portion of their required contribution for a new Alliance grant.
Alliance grants aim to encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations in the private, public or not-for-profit sectors.
Mancina said the company is expanding the number of universities it is partnering with.
In addition to Mcmaster and its main partnership with the University of Windsor, FCA also is working extensively with Waterloo, Sherbrooke and recently added Mcgill.
“Our strategy is to have our university partners focus on the fundamental science,” Mancina said.
“From a commercialization and incorporation into product, that's where we use that fundamental knowledge and put it into our products.”
Mancina said FCA became intrigued by working with the McMaster's Automotive Research Centre after Dr. Ali Emadi was lured north from the U.S. by the Canada Excellence Research Chair program.
FCA had 42 engineers working directly with more than 100 researchers at Mcmaster.
Mancina said the company is particularly proud of the project because of the “grassroots approach” taken in development.
“We started seven years ago with three small projects totalling about a million dollars just to see if we were able to develop a relationship and bear some fruit from the research we do,” Mancini said. “We were quite happy with the results.
“We transformed it into a fiveyear project totalling about $19 million. Then we just renewed that in 2018 for another $10.6-million project for five years.”
It really is a testament to what our company is committed to — electric powertrains and propulsion systems.