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Rolling Out New Classes
ASEE Prism, Apr 2006 by Grose, Thomas K
MECHANICS
GASOLINE PRICES remain high, and that's starting to boost the appeal of hybrid cars, which are more fuel-friendly than regular internal-combustion vehicles. Detroit's troubled automakers all plan to introduce more hybrids in the coming months and years. One research firm says the U.S. market for hybrids will double this year to 2.4 percent. As more hybrids hit the road, the need for qualified mechanics will likewise increase. And a lot of them will be trained at community colleges that have strong engineering technology departments. This fall, Macomb County Community College in Warren, Mich., a suburb of Detroit, will start offering classes in hybrid mechanics. It will be the first of its kind in Michigan and one of the first in the country. Macomb developed the classes with a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Hybrids capture energy from brake friction and convert it to electricity; electric motors kick in to help reduce fuel consumption in stop-and-go city driving. But the technology uses wires carrying lethal amounts of electricity: up to 300 volts. That's triple the amount coursing through power lines. Clearly, mechanbe careful. So do emergency responders - including ambulance workers, police and firefighters-which is why Macomb is offering the classes to them, as well as to budding hybrid mechanics. -TG
Copyright American Society for Engineering Education Apr 2006
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
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