The OSU Center for Automotive Research (CAR) , is an interdisciplinary university research center supported by the Transportation Research Endowment Program (TREP), and by industry and government grants and contracts. CAR conducts fundamental and applied research in four major thrust areas:  Heavy Duty Vehicles;  Intelligent Transportation Systems; Noise, Vibration and Dynamics; and Powertrain Systems.

The Center is located in a 35,000 sqft facility and offers advanced experimental facilities that include engine and vehicle dynamometers, vibrations, noise and acoustics laboratories (including a hemianechoic room containing a chassis dynamometer), an intelligent vehicle laboratory, engine fluid mechanics and combustion research facilities, and electric and hybrid-electric propulsion research facilities. In addition, CAR has access to the full-service proving grounds of the Transportation Research Center, Inc. (http://www.trcpg.com/), located 45 miles northwest of the OSU campus. Approximately 22 faculty, 43 graduate students (8 Fellows and 35 GRAs), 3 administrative staff, 19 research staff, 12 visiting scholars, and 17 student research assistants.
The Center also provides facilities and support for 4 student project teams consisting of 119 mostly undergraduate students .

Approximately one third of the Center $5M annual expenditures derive from an Industrial Research Consortium, with membership including major automotive manufacturers and suppliers and government agencies.

CAR is at the forefront of innovative programs in undergraduate, graduate and continuing education in automotive systems, and offers support and facilities to the US Department of Energy Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Center on Hybrid Drivetrains and Control Systems, and to a number of student competition projects (Formula SAE, SAE Mini Baja, Formula Lightning, Solar car and FutureTruck ). A number of graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarship opportunities are available.

CAR also has an active program in continuing education for the automotive industry, through specialized graduate courses as well as short courses and seminars, and has recently sponsored the establishment of an interdisciplinary Graduate Specialization in Automotive Systems Engineering, in collaboration with the departments of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.

Center for Automotive Research
930 Kinnear Road - Columbus, Ohio 43212 Telephone: 614.292.5990 Fax: 614.688.4111

More information contact: Ahmed Soliman