Project-based Learning on Automotive Engineering: Building an Electrical Vehicle

Electromobility is a modern trend in transportation systems. The use of electric energy in transport has shown many advantages compared to the use of other energy sources. However, this trend has also brought new challenges and problems to be solved. Implementing the use of electric energy in vehicles requires aspiring engineers to acquire new skills and competencies to address these new issues. For this, a concentration course on Automotive Engineering with a focus on Electromobility has been integrated into the curriculum for mechanical engineering at our institution. The course has been designed to address training and competency development in this topic. During the planning and implementation of the course, an industrial partner is involved, representing a crucial aspect for students to develop skills and apply them to real and relevant problems. In this work, an implementation of the concentration course in Automotive Engineering is described, which was attended by students who were close to graduation and were pursuing degrees related to innovation and transformation. During the course, an electric vehicle was integrated and built by the students. The development of this implementation, and the obtained results, are described. Moreover, a brief discussion about the learning outcomes and the faced difficulties is presented.