Ford, MacMaster, NCERC join hybrid powertrain research initiative

Ford, McMaster and a federal research council of Canada will provide $2.5 million for a research initiative which aims at developing new powertrain systems for hybrid vehicles at McMaster Innovation Park.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Ford Motor Company and McMaster University will share the funding over next five years through 2016 to establish an industrial research chair in hybrid/electric vehicle powertrain diagnostics.

The research will mainly focus on developing performance and reliability testing systems to be used in designing advanced hybrid powertrain systems as well as in-vehicle monitoring and fault-detection systems.

The money will be used to hire a research group which will have two post-doctoral fellows, nine graduate students and one part-time technician over the five-year term.

Saeid Habibi, a professor of mechanical engineering and department chair at McMaster has been named the inaugural chair holder of the NSERC/Ford/McMaster Industrial Research Chair in Hybrid/Electric Vehicle (HEV) Powertrain Diagnostics.

The new chair will also establish a research centre for mechatronics and hybrid technologies, which will be located in the new 80,000 sq ft. McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) at McMaster Innovation Park.