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R epresentatives from Ford Motor Company of Canada and Barrie Ford gathered at Georgian's Barrie Campus last June to celebrate its collaboration with the college and the two-year lease renewal of two Ford electric vehicles (EVs). They also learned about the work students have been doing to further develop technology and innovation in this field. EV charging stations were installed in 2013 with support from PowerStream, in addition to Ford's gift-in- kind vehicle leases. Since then, hundreds of Georgian College students have undertaken major class projects related to EVs and the charging stations. These students are preparing to work with – and be leaders in – emerging technologies in the electrical, environmental and automotive sectors. A similar charging station, sponsored by Direct Energy, has been installed at the Owen Sound Campus. Georgian uses EV monitoring and control systems to teach students about the impact of electric vehicles, renewable energy and electrical distribution. The charging stations have the ability to collect data related to transferring power from the power grid to electric cars, and vice versa. Class projects have allowed for some great research and educational experiences, says second- year Mechanical Engineering Technology – Automotive Products Design student Ahmad-Hussein Hachem. "The Ford-Georgian partnership has given me hands- on learning opportunities and the chance to conduct research into the dynamics of electric vehicles and how they perform on the road," says Ahmad-Hussein. So far, his classmates have analyzed the effect that EVs create for electric utilities and offered recommendations to industry professionals on how to best manage vehicle charging patterns to optimize electricity use and the electricity distribution system. In the three years the Barrie Campus EV charging station has been operational, it has proven to be highly beneficial to the environment. As of October 2016, close to 75,185 kilometres have been logged in the donated Ford EVs and it is estimated that in that time, the cars have saved close to 5,578 litres of gas and approximately 53,131 kilograms of CO2. The solar panels on top of the EV charging station have generated more than 22,300 kilowatt hours, which is enough to power 738 houses for a day. EV CHARGING STATIONS POWER UP UNIQUE RESEARCH AT BARRIE AND OWEN SOUND CAMPUSES GEORGIANVIEW 2016 26 STUDENTS IN ThE NEWS COLLEGE NEWS