Today sees the opening of the auspicious Sheffield NEVC Electric Powertrain Technology Research Centre (SNEPC). This exciting new international collaborative research centre brings together the Beijing National New Energy Vehicle Technology Innovation Centre (NEVC) and Electrical Machines and Drives (EMD) Research Group, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, at the University of Sheffield.
Centre Director Professor Zi-Qiang Zhu (Sheffield), and Joint Director Dr Chaohui Liu (NEVC) were joined for a hybrid-online opening ceremony by Vice President of Engineering at the University of Sheffield, Professor Jim Litster, for the signing of the agreement which will launch the centre.
Following the signing of the agreement Professor Litster said “Two main areas of focus for us are sustainable energy and sustainable transportation…for that reason it is really exciting for our Electrical Machines and Drives group here [in Sheffield] to partner with this prestigious centre in China on this very exciting research...I do believe that the research coming out of this partnership will be truly transformative in helping the world to be a more sustainable place, and cope with the challenges we [the world] face this century...”.
Professor Zhu commented “As a global leader in research and development of permanent magnet machines and drive systems, the EMD group undertakes fundamental and applied research on enabling technologies for driving electrification in transportation and renewable energy. We are pleased to cooperate with NEVC on developing novel technologies for electric powertrain which is a key component in electric vehicles. In addition to 3 UK government funded research platforms, the new centre is the 7th industrially funded research centre in the EMD group, which further confirms Sheffield’s international reputation in its field.”
Dr Liu followed up with the comment “NEVC aims to be a platform for leading standards and mode of R&D of technology outputs, global manufacturing and servicing of new energy vehicles, as well as being a world-class platform of transformation and industrialisation of R&D achievements in the development of new energy vehicles. I undertook my PhD research in the EMD group at the University of Sheffield, which was a memorable time. I am very pleased to establish this connection between NEVC and EMD, and I believe this joint research centre will make new progress in developing world-leading EV powertrain technology….”
The focus of the research centre is the development of the next generation of advanced powertrain technologies for electric vehicles. Work is ready to get underway with an initial three year, £1m project ably supported by a Research Associate and six PhD students based in the recently refurbished EMD research labs within Sir Frederick Mappin Building, long-term home to the department and EMD research group.