CAAT Public Events
101 People, Places and Things that Made Michigan
CAAT Director, Bob Feldmaier, participated in the program series, 101 People, Places and Things that Made Michigan, held at Macomb Community College's Lorenzo Cultural Center in Clinton Township, MI, from February 28 - May 9, 2015. During this series, the Lorenzo Cultural Center examined what made the Michigan of today—from the forces of nature that created the state's geography, to the forces of personality that molded its persona. Through exhibits, presentations, and activities, they:
- Explored how the ethos of Michigan was shaped
- Studied the events that created an enduring impact, whether natural or man-made
- Discovered the stories of Michiganders whose actions and lives are intrinsic to how the state relates to the rest of the nation and the world
- Delved into key facets of our state's rich history that helped define both the Michigan spirit and experience
Bob participated by presenting, "You Cannot See the Future in the Rearview Mirror" on March 18, which detailed the explosion of new technology being introduced on automobiles in order to meet new fuel economy and emission standards while making vehicles safer.
Download the presentation from our Resource Library.
For more information on this series, visit the
Lorenzo Cultural Center.
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Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive
The CAAT Electric Vehicle Ride & Drive was a huge success and had more than 200 attendees! The event was free and took place at Macomb Community College's South Campus in Warren, MI on Friday, May 2, 2014, in conjunction with its annual
conference held the same day. The Ride & Drive was open to the public from 3-8 p.m. and was held in the college's parking area along Hayes Road. The event featured multiple makes and models of hybrid and electrified vehicles (EVs), which included:
- 2014 Cadillac ELR
- 2014 Chevrolet Volt
- 2014 Ford C-MAX Energi
- 2014 Ford Focus EV
- 2014 Ford Fusion Energi
- 2014 Nissan Leaf
- 2014 Tesla Model S
- 2013 Tesla Model S
- 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-in
- 2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Drivers were asked to complete a short survey at the end of their EV driving experience. Interestingly:
- Ninety-nine percent of the 151 ride & drive participants who completed a post-drive survey rated the event as “extremely valuable” (79%) or “very valuable” (20%)!
- Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents indicated their perception of electrified vehicles had changed in a positive way.
Community leaders attending a VIP kickoff event held in conjunction with the Ride & Drive public event included Macomb County Sheriff, Tony Wickersham, Gene Lovell, president and CEO, First State Bank, Steven Bieda, Michigan State Senate, Jon Switalski, Michigan House of Representatives, Keith Nelson, deputy district director from the Office of Representative Sander Levin, and Nancy Falcone, Macomb Community College Board of Trustees. President Jim Jacobs and Provost and Senior Vice President Jim Sawyer were also present from Macomb Community College.
View the Ride and Drive Facebook Photo Album
Industry Support
Special thanks to the Bosch Automotive Service Solutions team who were on hand to explain the charging of EVs and to Nissan and General Motors who supported the event with vehicles and product specialists who were available to explain the technology behind their EVs and answer driver questions.
Michigan Tech Mobile Lab
Many Ride & Drive participants also walked through the Michigan Tech University (MTU) Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Mobile Lab, which was onsite and available for tours. MTU representatives were on hand to advise how the MTU Mobile Lab and classroom is used to take hands-on hybrid electric vehicle education right to working and displaced engineers, company employees, students, and communities, wherever they may be. For more information, visit the
Michigan Tech Mobile Lab website to download their Short Course and HEV Outreach brochures.
Media Coverage
Media coverage of the event included a segment on Fox 2 News featuring CAAT Principal Investigator, Joe Petrosky, as well as a news segment on TV Warren, which also featured Jim Jacobs, president, Macomb Community College.
Watch the media coverage of the event.
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Revenge of the Electric Car Movie
Friday, February 12th, 7:00-8:45 p.m.
Macomb Community College
Center Campus Cultural Center (Building K)
44575 Garfield Rd.
The CAAT sponsored an event for the general public that featured the documentary by Chris Pain, Revenge of the Electric Car, which tells the story of the resurgence of electric vehicles. The event was focused on attracting members of the general public and was attended by over 400 people. Attendees were able to view a Chevrolet Volt and Tahoe Hybrid and talk with Macomb Community College professors from the Advanced Automotive Technology and Renewable Energy Departments before and after the movie. The event was kicked off by Macomb Community College's President, Dr. Jim Jacobs, and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. In addition, audience members stayed well after the film to participate in an informal question and answer session with a panel of experts which included our Principal Investigator, Joe Petrosky, Macomb's Advanced Automotive Technology professors, Dave Brigolan, Chevrolet Volt engineer, and John Hughes, Chevrolet's marketing manager.
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