Final Technical GATE Report, 1998-2006

In 1998, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded 10 proposals to establish graduate automotive technology education (GATE) centers of excellence at nine universities, each addressing a specific technological area. The University of California, Davis was chosen for two centers: Fuel Cell Center and Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Design Center (power drivetrains and control strategies). This report is specific to the Fuel Cell Center only, which was housed at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis). ITS-Davis created the Fuel Cell Vehicle Center, with the following goals: (1) create an interdisciplinary fuel cell vehicle curriculum that cuts across engineering, the physical sciences and, to a lesser extent, the social sciences; (2) expand and strengthen the then-emerging multidisciplinary fuel cell vehicle research program; (3) strengthen links with industry; (4) create an active public outreach program; and (5) serve as neutral ground for interactions between academia, the auto, energy, and technology industries, government, and public-interest non-governmental organizations. At the time of proposal, the Center had a solid track record in fuel cell research, strong connections with industry, strong campus support, a core group of distinguished and motivated faculty, and an established institutional foundation for fuel cell vehicle research and education