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LA Mayor Garcetti Named Co-Chair New Federal Committee on Automation
USDOT Announces New Federal Committee on Automation
USDOT Announces New Federal Committee on Automation
Committee to Hold First Meeting on January 16, 2017
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) announced today that it is establishing a new advisory committee focused on automation across a number of modes. The committee, which includes leading professionals and experts in their field, will hold its first meeting on January 16th, 2017 to immediately begin work on some of the most pressing and relevant matters facing transportation today, including the development and deployment of automated vehicles, and determining the needs of the Department as it continues with its relevant research, policy, and regulations.
“During my time at the Department, we have fostered some of the most significant technological changes to ever take place in transportation, and we did so while keeping our focus on the safety of the American people,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. ”This new automation committee will work to advance life-saving innovations while boosting our economy and making our transportation network more fair, reliable, and efficient.”
The new committee members are:
- Co-Chair: Mary Barra- General Motors, Chairman and CEO
- Co-Chair: Eric Garcetti- Mayor of Los Angeles, CA
- Vice Chair: Dr. J. Chris Gerdes- Stanford University, Professor of Engineering
- Gloria Boyland- FedEx, Corporate Vice President, Operations & Service Support
- Robin Chase- Zipcar; Buzzcar; Veniam, Co-founder of Zipcar and Veniam
- Douglas Chey- Hyperloop One, Senior Vice President of Systems Development
- Henry Claypool- Community Living Policy Center, Policy Director
- Mick Cornett- Mayor of Oklahoma City, OK
- Mary “Missy” Cummings- Duke University, Director, Humans and Autonomy Lab, Pratt School of Engineering
- Dean Garfield- Information Technology Industry Council, President and CEO
- Mary Gustanski- Delphi Automotive, Vice President of Engineering & Program Management
- Debbie Hersman- National Safety Council, President and CEO
- Rachel Holt- Uber, Regional General Manager, United States and Canada
- Lisa Jackson- Apple, Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives
- Tim Kentley-Klay- Zoox, Co-founder and CEO
- John Krafcik- Waymo, CEO
- Gerry Murphy- Amazon, Senior Corporate Counsel, Aviation
- Robert Reich- University of California, Berkeley, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy, Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy
- Keller Rinaudo- Zipline International, CEO
- Chris Spear- American Trucking Association (ATA), President and CEO
- Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger- Safety Reliability Methods, Inc., Founder and CEO
- Bryant Walker Smith- University of South Carolina, Assistant Professor, School of Law and (by courtesy) School of Engineering
- Jack Weekes- State Farm Insurance, Operations Vice President, Innovation Team
- Ed Wytkind- President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
- John Zimmer- Lyft, Co-founder and President
As technology develops, automation may play a larger role in a number of modes of transportation, including cars, buses, trains, planes, and UAS (drone) systems. This committee will play a critical role in sharing best practices, challenges, and opportunities in automation, and will open lines of communication so stakeholders can learn and adapt based on feedback from each other.
As found in the Department’s Beyond Traffic 2045 Report about the future of transportation, the nation’s population is expected to grow by 70 million more people in the next three decades, and face an increase of more than 40 percent in freight volume. This committee will play a needed role in helping the country prepare for its infrastructure needs in the coming years.
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U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Columbus as Winner of Unprecedented $40 Million Smart City Challenge
DOT 73-16
Thursday, June 23, 2016
DOT Press OfficePaul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. awards additional $10 million
COLUMBUS, OH – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today that Columbus, OH has been selected as the winner of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT)’s Smart City Challenge. As winner of the Challenge, Columbus will receive up to $40 million from U.S. DOT and up to $10 million from Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. to supplement the $90 million that the city has already raised from other private partners to carry out its plan. Using these resources, Columbus will work to reshape its transportation system to become part of a fully-integrated city that harnesses the power and potential of data, technology, and creativity to reimagine how people and goods move throughout their city.
“Each of the seven finalists put forward an array of thoughtful, intelligent, and innovative ideas that defined a vision for the future of the American city and formed a blueprint to show the world what a fully integrated, forward-looking transportation network looks like,” said Secretary Foxx. “The Smart City Challenge required each city to think about transportation as cross-functional, not in silos, but as a transportation ecosystem. The bold initiatives they proposed demonstrated that the future of transportation is not just about using technology to make our systems safer and more efficient – it’s about using these advanced tools to make life better for all people, especially those living in underserved communities. While Columbus is the winner of the Challenge, we believe each city has come out of this process with a stronger sense of how to address transportation challenges with technology and innovation.”
“We are thrilled to be America’s first Smart City. Our collaboration between public, private and nonprofit sectors is the perfect example of how we lift up our residents and connect all communities,” said Mayor Andrew Ginther. “Smart Columbus will deliver an unprecedented multimodal transportation system that will not only benefit the people of central Ohio, but potentially all mid-sized cities. I am grateful to President Obama, Secretary Foxx, the U.S. Department of Transportation, all of our partners and especially the Smart Columbus team.”
The Smart City Challenge generated a significant amount of excitement and interest amongst cities. U.S. DOT received seventy-eight applications in total – one from nearly every mid-sized city in America. The Challenge called on cities to do more than merely introduce new technologies onto city streets, requiring them to boldly envision new solutions that would change the face of transportation in our cities by closing the gap between rich and poor; capturing the needs of both young and old; and bridging the digital divide through smart design so that the future of transportation meets the needs of all city residents.
The seven finalist cities that were announced at South by Southwest (SXSW) in March – Austin, Columbus, Denver, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Portland, and San Francisco – rose to the Smart City Challenge in an extraordinary way. They presented innovative concepts, proposing to create new first of a kind corridors for autonomous vehicles to move city residents, to electrify city fleets, and to collectively equip over thirteen thousand buses, taxis, and cars with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication.
Columbus was selected as the winner because it put forward an impressive, holistic vision for how technology can help all of the city’s residents to move more easily and to access opportunity. The city proposed to deploy three electric self-driving shuttles to link a new bus rapid transit center to a retail district, connecting more residents to jobs. Columbus also plans to use data analytics to improve health care access in a neighborhood that currently has an infant mortality rate four times that of the national average, allowing them to provide improved transportation options to those most in need of prenatal care.
Public-private partnerships were essential to the success of the Smart City Challenge. The Department announced partnerships with some of the most innovative folks in the private sector, including launch partner Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc., cloud partner Amazon Web Services, NXP® Semiconductors, Mobileye, Autodesk, Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, AT&T, DC Solar and Continental Automotive. In addition, these seven cities were able to leverage U.S. DOT’s $40 million grant to raise approximately $500 million more in funding – a vast majority of which comes from a diverse group of over 150 partners. These partnerships illustrated the private-sector enthusiasm to help build an inclusive transportation system of the future.
Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc.:
“Climate change is a complex challenge, and it will take all of us working together to develop innovative, scalable solutions. One of this competition’s greatest strengths is how it incentivized leaders across the public, private and nonprofit sectors to collaborate,” said Paul G. Allen. “It is my hope that cities across the country will draw from and adapt the ideas from the Smart City Challenge to transform their transportation networks and help put their communities on a more sustainable path.”
Mobileye:
“We were impressed with how well the finalists demonstrated their commitment to transforming their respective cities into a fully-integrated city of the future, especially where safety was concerned.” said Mobileye Co-Founder, CTO and Chairman Professor Amnon Shashua. “We anticipate significant advancements from each finalist as a result of this challenge and hope they continue to embrace forward-looking solutions, like Mobileye, and transform transportation infrastructure and safety in their cities. We are more than ready to play our part in ushering in the nation’s first truly smart city and look forward to working with the winner through our participation with Secretary Foxx and the DOT’s Smart City Challenge”
NXP Semiconductors:
“At NXP, we are honored to be able to provide Columbus with innovations that will truly make a difference to how its citizens live and work,” said NXP CEO and President Rick Clemmer. “Through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) technology as well as RFID tagging and smart card ICs, NXP will help Columbus keep its roads safer, reduce pollution, and create more streamlined traffic and toll payments. We look forward to partnering with Columbus and to watch it become a real, tangible example of what the secure, smarter world will look like.”
Autodesk:
“The public and private sectors are generally viewed as at odds with one another, but Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx’s Smart City Challenge proves that we can indeed work together to address the challenges facing our cities,” said Carl Bass, CEO of Autodesk. “The Smart City Challenge offered the tech industry and city leaders a common platform to envision and plan a more intelligent, sustainable urban future. We applaud Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx for his leadership in creating this collaborative effort.”
Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs:
“The DOT Smart City Challenge has inspired cities to shift away from operating in traditional agency silos and towards creating a coordinated, outcome-focused transportation system that reduces congestion and enhances transport equity,” says Anand Babu, COO of Sidewalk Labs. “Data is the key to enabling this transformation, and Sidewalk Labs is excited to partner with cities to provide data-driven applications to better manage roads, parking, and mass transit, and to encourage shared mobility. When governments and technologists collaborate, there is an enormous potential to reimagine the way we approach urban mobility, and Secretary Foxx and the DOT should be commended for moving this critical conversation in a new direction.”
Amazon Web Services:
“Amazon Web Services collaborated with the seven finalist cities during the challenge, and will work closely with Columbus to help implement their smart city vision. Cloud technology is enabling collaboration and the creation of citizen services at an unprecedented rate.”
AT&T:
“AT&T congratulates Columbus on a job well done by showing the vision of what a smart city can accomplish for its citizens,” said Mike Zeto, general manager and executive director, AT&T Smart Cities. “While we look forward to continuing to work with all 78 cities that entered the Challenge, AT&T is especially thrilled to help Columbus bring to life its winning smart cities vision by providing a framework for success that can be scaled across the region and other cities as well.”
DC Solar:
“The Smart City Challenge is a visionary initiative and DC Solar is proud to be named a partner with the DOT,” said Jeff Carpoff, DC Solar’s CEO. “We look forward to working with the city of Columbus to provide solar energy access through mobile solar solutions and EV infrastructure. DC Solar is excited to work with all the finalist and applicant cities who seek clean energy solutions. We applaud Secretary Foxx’s innovative leadership, and we believe the Smart City Challenge will become a model for encouraging clean technologies in communities throughout the U.S.”
Continental:
“At Continental, safety is at the cornerstone of everything that we do. That is why we are proud to join the USDOT’s national Smart City Challenge as a provider of active safety technology and secure connectivity to help advance the development of future mobility services such as automated driving infrastructure solutions, Intelligent Transportation Systems and V2X technology,” said Samir Salman, CEO of Continental North America. “The Smart City Challenge aligns with our company’s mission of Vision Zero, which is our goal to globally eliminate traffic and road fatalities, making mobility safer, more convenient and more efficient for everyone.”
The Department of Transportation and its federal partners, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy, and the National Institute for Standards and Technology, have committed to keep working collaboratively with all seven finalist cities to identify potential federal, state, local, and private resources to help carry out their Smart City plans. In addition, Vulcan Inc. has announced a new commitment to provide additional funding to support the climate and electrification efforts of all seven cities.
To learn more about the Smart City Challenge, visit www.transportation.gov/smartcity.
U.S. Department of Transportation | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington DC 20590 | 202-385-HELP (4357) -
State to award $9m for zero-emission trucks
SACRAMENTO (June 10, 2016)- The State of California is awarding $9 million to the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) for 27 zero-emission trucks to replace diesel-powered heavy-duty tractors used in rail yards and large-scale freight distribution centers. The funds come from the California Climate Investments (CCI) program and are designed to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), while also reducing petroleum usage and improving air quality in residential communities.
The project, which kicked off this week, will place these electric-powered trucks in disadvantaged communities within the cities of San Bernardino, Commerce and Fontana. The goal is to develop zero-emission vehicles that could replace existing diesel trucks accelerating the commercialization of these and other examples of heavy-duty advanced, zero-emission technologies in California.
“This project will help put the very cleanest trucks to work where they are heavily utilized, moving cargo within freight yards,” California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Mary D. Nichols said. “Cleaner trucks mean cleaner air for all Californians, but especially for those who live in neighborhoods next to these freight transfer facilities.”
Over the two-year duration of the demonstration project, the full complement of the zero-emission trucks will result in overall reductions of 3,500 tons of carbon dioxide, 3,250 pounds of nitrogen oxide and 170 pounds of diesel soot (PM10).
“In a county like ours, it is imperative that we continue to seek the resources needed to fund innovative and effective solutions to the air quality challenges we face,” SANBAG President Ryan McEachron said. “This grant represents just one part of a continued effort by SANBAG to enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
“At BNSF, we believe it is good business and good citizenship to minimize our impact on the environment and to contribute to the long-term sustainability of our business. We welcome the opportunity to participate in this demonstration project to test the viability and effectiveness of using zero-emission trucks inside two of our Southern California facilities,” said Mark Kirschinger, BNSF general manager operations California Division.
The two types of trucks funded by this grant are the most common at every major freight location in the U.S., providing a model for truck electrification that could be scaled to any facility. The project will demonstrate 23 battery-electric 80,000-pound (GVWR) Class 8 yard trucks, also known as “yard goats,” which are used to move heavy freight containers short distances within freight yards, warehouses, distribution centers and port terminals. The project also demonstrates four 16,100-pound (GVWR) Class 5 medium-duty service trucks. BNSF Railway will operate the trucks at two of its intermodal rail yards in the cities of San Bernardino and Commerce; Daylight Transport will also operate the trucks at its new truck freight transfer facility in Fontana.
The grant is part of a larger statewide investment in low-carbon transportation projects that are pivotal to meeting California’s ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and reduce petroleum dependency by accelerating the development and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies. The project also supports the Governor’s Executive Order (B-32-15) to “upgrade freight vehicles and infrastructure” utilizing “technologies, energy sources, and fuels that enable greater transportation efficiency while reducing community and environmental impacts.” The draft California Sustainable Freight Action Plan, required under the Executive Order, was made public last month.
The fully electric trucks will be designed and manufactured by BYD in Lancaster, California.
“BYD’s class 8 heavy-duty yard truck and class 5 medium-duty service truck technology will prove that vehicle electrification is a solution that can be applied today to a variety of needs — not just passenger vehicles,” said Stella Li, president of BYD Motors. “BYD is proud to collaborate on this project and showcase our best-in-market electric battery technology. By deploying these trucks in 24/7 operations, this project will prove that truck electrification can be adopted at any major freight location and scaled for any facility and business need in the U.S.”
CARB and SANBAG are committed to working with industry to improve air quality in the Inland Empire by supporting public-private partnerships and technology innovation.
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Autonomous Vehicles Event Varden Labs, Cal State LA, EcoCAR 3
On March 7-8 Cal State LA and its EcoCAR 3 team will host Varden Labs on campus, a startup company in Silicon Valley that develops autonomous vehicle technology. As a part of the two- day event, the company will conduct multiple rides of their fully autonomous golf-cart sized vehicle for students, faculty and staff. The shuttle is about the size of a golf cart and can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, but will be traveling about 10 miles per hour for demonstrations.
On Tuesday, March 8, the company representatives will discuss the autonomous transportation
industry and provide an overview of the autonomous technology. This will be followed by an EcoCAR 3
team presentation into their work on the same topic. Also there will be an opportunity for a
special testing session for industry guests and EcoCAR 3 students. Location: Engineering Building,
room B11. Presentations 10-11 am; rides 11-12pm.Members of the E4 Mobility Alliance and Advanced Transportation Center are especially welcome to
attend. Parking directions are on the next page.If you have any questions, please email Dr. David Blekhman: [email protected]
Varden Labs: http://vardenlabs.com/
https://www.facebook.com/vardenlabs/
Cal State LA EcoCAR 3: http://csulaecocar3.org/
https://www.facebook.com/CalStateLAEcoCAR3
Directions to CSULA.
We are located in the north-west corner of HWYs 10 and 710 crossing.
You will enter the campus by one of the four blue arrows.
Suggested parking for guests: Lots 1, 2, 5, 7, and 11, Parking Structure A (all levels), Parking Structure B (C-Level) and Parking Structure C (Yellow Level), 4 Hour Parking $3.
Walk over to Lot 10, Engineering Building to find entrance to B-11, marked by the red arrow on the right. -
Innovation Thought Leadership Forum: Advancing the Electric Grid for the 21st Century Energy Needs
UCLA SMERC forum to be held in Washington D.C., April 13, 2016 For the past six years the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC) in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has been integrally involved with the U.S. Department of Energy funded Smart Grid Regional Demonstration Project for the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power (LADWP). During these years, UCLA SMERC has researched, developed and piloted technologies for electric vehicle integration with the electricity grid, as well as for optimally integrating renewably generated electricity from solar photovoltaic panels with the grid. UCLA SMERC has developed critical technology for operating smart grids, and has also deployed hardware and software to actualize demand response load abatement on hot summer days in LA. In addition, SMERC has been researching cooperative microgrid technology and analyzing battery energy storage data in conjunction with solar PV metering to minimize grid impact due to intermittency and to maximize the potential for renewables to be massively integrated into the grid. Moreover, SMERC has engaged stakeholder/partners from utilities, industry and government which have resulted in a variety of other sponsored research projects, innovations and demonstrations.
At this forum, UCLA is planning to accomplish the following key objectives:
- To share the results of UCLA’s research, technologies developed, demonstration projects and experience on Smart Grids with the community.
- To invite leading Smart Grid experts from around the country to share their experiences to date on their projects and activities.
- To have a discussion with the experts on what Modern Electric Grid would look like in 10, 20 and 30 years and how we get there from here.
So save the date, April 13, 2016, for UCLA SMERC Innovation Thought Leadership Forum in Washington D.C., (register here) where utilities, industry-shakers, policy-makers and academics who are advancing the state-of-the-art in smart grids, will come together to discuss what the future electric grid looks like, as the next step for smart grid technologies will be their scaling up to regional and national levels. Offered will be the importance of evolving policy, innovations anticipated, as well as economic and business models.
Location: Auditorium, 1st floor
University of California, Washington Center (UCDC)
1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington D.C. 20036
To sponsor this event, click hereRegister now and lock in an early rate.
SPEAKER NOMINATIONSWe are currently accepting a limited number of speaker nominations:
Nominate a SpeakerSPEAKERS
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Women In Transportation: Working Together, Caltrans, Metro, LADOT event Feb 23
Women In Transportation – LA are hosting their next Meeting, sponsored by AECOM on Tuesday, February 23, 11:15-1:30 pm at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in downtown LA. Details below.
California transportation is experiencing a golden age of growth and change that is keeping up with new technology and demands. With careful planning, partnership and prudence, leaders can sustain what we’ve got and carry us into a platinum future. On February 23, WTS-LA presents just how that might happen. With a panel moderated by former CA Assembly Speaker and Metrolink Director Richard Katz and featuring Caltrans District 7 Director Carrie Bowen, Metro Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Stephanie Wiggins, Metro Board Member Jackie Dupont-Walker, and Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Seleta Reynold, WTS-LA members will get firsthand news about active transportation, sustainability, upcoming Caltrans, Metro and LADOT transportation projects, including Measure R-funded programs and beyond. The panel will also highlight the outstanding partnering Caltrans, Metro and LADOT has fostered with small businesses throughout the Southland.
So if you want to know more about upcoming major transportation initiatives, get the information from the sources. Join us on February 23 for this exceptional panel.
Tuesday, February 23
Registration: 11:15am – 12:00pm
Lunch: 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel
Golden Ballroom
120 South Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Registration
WTS-LA Members: $60
Non-Member: $90 (Not a Member? JOIN NOW)
Student and Public Sector: $45
Table of Eight: $550
Public Sector Table of Eight: $360
Walk-ins: Additional $15
We are no longer accepting cash or mail-in checks. The preferred payment method is credit card, which may be processed through PayPal, no account required. Alternatively, on the day of the event, we accept most major credit cards and checks at the door. Payment must be received before entry to the event.
You may register and make payment online at www.wtsevents.org/chapter/la-area.
Valet parking is $15 at the hotel with validation.
Self-parking is also available for $10. The Doubletree Hotel is four blocks from Metro Red Line Civic Center Station and two blocks from Metro Gold Line Little Tokyo/Arts District Station. The venue is also located close to DASH Routes A and D.
Reservations must be received by 5pm, Thursday, February 16, 2016. Cancellations must be made by 5pm on February 16 in order to receive a refund. For more information about this event or WTS-LA, visit www.wtsinternational.org/losangeles.
Event Contact
Jenelle Saunders, Berg & Associates
(310) 548-9292
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CSULA Receives GM Vehicle for Challenge: Chevrolet Camaro Sets the Pace for EcoCAR 3
For Immediate Release Contacts: Jennifer Bulnes, 3107012163
December 15, 2015 Cal State LA
Kimberly DeClark, (202) 441-0096
EcoCAR 3Los Angeles, CA – Advanced Transportation Center of Southern California partner, Cal State LA (CSULA), received a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro for Year 2 of EcoCAR 3 . Launched in 2014, EcoCAR 3 , is a four year collegiate engineering competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM) that builds upon the 26 year history of the DOE’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC).
On Friday morning, December 11, 2015, CSULA EcoCAR 3 undergraduate and graduate CSULA student team members, welcomed their 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. After months of anxiously waiting, its arrival marks a significant milestone for the CSULA EcoCAR 3 team. The team has proceeded moving forward with its plans of developing an ultimate energy efficient, high performance vehicle as part of the competition. Future plans to present the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro to the public at Cal State L.A. and to the general public, are currently in the process.
“We’re thrilled to be involved with the EcoCAR 3 program,” said Jennifer Bulnes. “This competition gives us invaluable real life experience as we create our design, implement it into our vehicle and develop our skills as the next generation of engineers while bringing the automotive industry into the cleaner energy future.”
The EcoCAR 3 competition challenges university students to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of a GM donated Chevrolet Camaro while protecting the environment and saving American families and businesses money at the pump without compromising performance, safety or consumer acceptability. New for EcoCAR 3, the organizers are ramping up the challenge by adding cost constraints and automotive innovation as additional judging criteria. The competition is currently in its second year and will conclude in the summer of 2018.
During the program, teams follow a real world Vehicle Development Process (VDP) modeled after GM’s process. The VDP serves as a roadmap for the engineering process of designing, building and refining advanced technology vehicles. General Motors also provides each of the 16 competing teams with vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. The DOE and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, provide competition management, team evaluation and logistical support.The 16 universities competing in the EcoCAR 3 include:
- Arizona State University
- California State University, Los Angeles
- Colorado State University
- EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- McMaster University
- Mississippi State University
- Ohio State University
- Pennsylvania State University
- University of Tennessee – Knoxville
- University of Alabama
- University of Washington
- University of Waterloo
- Virginia Tech
- Wayne State University
- West Virginia University
For additional information about EcoCAR 3 , the participating schools or the competition sponsors, please visit our website, blog or Flickr stream and follow our social media channels; Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter for continuing updates throughout the four year
program.About EcoCAR 3
EcoCAR 3 is a four year collegiate engineering program that builds on the successful 26 year history of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) by giving engineering students the chance to design and build advanced vehicles that demonstrate leadingedge, ecofriendly automotive technologies. General Motors provides each of the 16 competing teams with a Chevrolet Camaro, as well as vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. The U.S. Department of Energy and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, provide competition management, team evaluation and logistical support. Through this important public/private partnership, EcoCAR 3 provides invaluable experience and training to promising young minds entering the North
American job market. EcoCAR 3 follows the widely acclaimed competition series EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future.CSULA EcoCAR3
www.csulaecocar3.org
EcoCAR 3 is the latest U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition series
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LACI Ranked #3 On UBI List of World Top University Associated Business Incubators for 2015
Stockholm, Sweden – (December 15, 2015) The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) was ranked #3 on the list of World Top University Associated Business Incubators for 2015, announced today by UBI Global.
This is the second consecutive year LACI has received an honor from UBI’s world-renowned rankings, as the 4-year old incubator was recognized as the #6 Incubator globally by UBI in 2014. LACI has proven a successful incubation and commercialization model and established itself as a global leader among cleantech incubators, helping over 40 companies, who have raised $60 million and have created more than 700 jobs.
“Our #3 ranking 2015 by the UBI Index is especially gratifying given that we were #6 in 2014, signifying that our hard work and methods continue to improve,” said LACI CEO Fred Walti. “Moreover, we’re equally proud of being awarded the High Impact Incubator of North America award, showing that our focus on delivering results is receiving recognition as well. Finally, I’m proud that we have achieved these awards for more than our work in cleantech, but across all categories of business incubators.”
UBI Global provides their rankings and benchmarks of University Business Incubators and University Business Accelerators through a proper representation of worldwide incubation programs. This year the final participants were selected by assessing 1200 incubators after which over 340 from 64 countries were retained for the benchmark.
“The importance of discovering and identifying these top performing incubators is underlined by our studies, which show that top benchmarked incubators provide almost half of the total economic impact within the incubation market” says UBI Global CEO and Co-founder, Ali Amin. “Highlighting some of their best practices will help universities, governments, incubation agencies and corporations to improve the incubators they support.”
Incubation is widely recognized as being one of the most effective tools for economic development. As incubation and acceleration options grow, it’s more important than ever for companies to understand the value they get from incubators.
UBI Global’s rankings are based on a broad range of performance indicators, which are measured using a unique research framework, all against an established and trusted methodology well developed by researchers, practitioners and industry experts (see ubi-global.com for details.)