e-Mobility by FCA and Politecnico, Turin working together on Challenge@CLIK

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This morning, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Abarth plant in Turin hosted the final phase of the "challenge" FCA set to students at the #Politecnico University, Turin. The competition consisted of FCA asking the young participants to propose innovative solutions to optimize the battery charging system of electric cars, combining the need to increase their power with the requirement to make it sustainable over time.
The 30 participants - of various nationalities and on different courses of study, including mechanical, mechatronic, electrical, electronic, #automotive and management engineering - had three months to work on the project, each a member of five multidisciplinary teams. In particular, they focused on developing a built-in system to identify the optimal battery charging percentage according to daily travel, the cost of charging, the power required and an assessment of its impact on battery lifespan (the "trade-off").
Improving battery capacity and speeding up charging times are some of the objectives manufacturers have set themselves to popularize the electric car. Through its e-Mobility division, FCA has been committed to this aspect for some time. We are also developing an ecosystem to meet the needs of our clients, and for sustainability from an environmental and economic point of view.
The challenge - which now forms part of the syllabus of the University of Turin, for the first time - was worked on in collaboration with the Contamination Lab Innovation Kitchen (CLIK), the space at the #Politecnico for students to experiment and practice their skills in an informal environment. This promotes the creative spirit of the young people involved, who are thus faced with concrete technological challenges, linked to the real dynamics of industry.
Of the five projects proposed, the jury - made up of experts and technicians from FCA - selected the InFusion team's effort, offering an innovative solution to minimize the effects of recharging anxiety in users of electric cars. The jury cited their ability to deal with the complexity of the problem, the uniqueness of the project they proposed and the quality of the presentation.
The entire initiative was met with clear appreciation from the students: FCA strongly supports these new forms of teaching, which enable young people to work on highly topical issues such as sustainable #mobility and getting them into the habit of finding practical solutions to problems they will face once they enter the world of work.

Turin, January 16, 2020