As part of the Battery Workforce Challenge—a three-year student competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Stellantis, and Argonne National Laboratory—students from Cal State LA and Cerritos College are gaining hands-on experience in electric vehicle (EV) battery design, manufacturing, and integration. The Charging Eagles team is working to develop and install a custom battery pack into a production Stellantis Ram vehicle, while building a pipeline of clean transportation talent in Southern California. In this interview, Luisa Bautista, a mechanical engineering undergraduate at Cal State LA, shares her journey in the competition and how it’s shaping her future in zero-emission mobility. Follow the team’s progress on Instagram: @battchallengecsula
Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you’re studying in Cal State LA?
My name is Luisa Bautista and I’m a mechanical engineering student.
What got you interested in clean transportation and zero-emission vehicles?
As a mechanical engineering student, we have in mind the community and always making the world a better place to live in, and I feel like clean mobility is the pathway to a cleaner world and environment.
How did you get involved in the Battery Workforce Challenge?
I chose the Battery Workforce Challenge as my senior design project, but over the summer I had the chance to take over communications and marketing, so I’ve recently been more involved in that aspect of the project.
What is the scope of this Battery Workforce Challenge competition?
During the first and second year of the competition, we went over basic theories, calculations, and we went in depth over the components we were given by the sponsors. Over the third year, we’re moving from the theory stage to the production stage. We are finally taking out the battery structure that the truck already has and putting inside the one we are developing. We don’t necessarily need to make a better battery pack, but we have to make one that works. We have to justify why we chose the components we chose and how we chose them. Next month we are starting on the machining of the structure, so we are really excited for that!
What kind of hands-on work or projects have you been a part of since you joined the competition?
Since I joined this mechanical integration team, I’ve been tasked with mostly designing mounting solutions and enclosures. Once I design them, I CAD them, I go to SolidWorks and I draw them, I test them, and I do simulations before producing the enclosures.
What’s something about this project that surprised or excited you?
The growth opportunities, my professional teammates and the faculty that never hesitate to help us with whatever we need!
How is this experience helping you prepare for your career?
I’m strengthening my engineering skills. I’m doing ‘CADding’wq simulations, I’m doing hands-on work and calculations, and I’m also on the Communications side now which has taken me out of my shell and helped me be more confident.
Why do you think this kind of work matters for Los Angeles and beyond?
This school does serve minorities, but I also see beyond that. Me being from Michoacan [Mexico], I’ve seen students that think going straight to work after high school is the only option they have. That was not something that I wanted for me, but projects like this I think help prepare students for the workforce. It’s also for students like me to see ‘this is not far from you, you can learn it, it’s here in Los Angeles, it’s in your hands, if you want it you can really get into it’. We are also hosting events for high school students so they can see the opportunities they have in clean transportation.
What would you say to another student that’s thinking about joining your student workforce?
Don’t be afraid, just come in. We will teach you what we want to learn, and if we don’t know it, we’ll learn with you.
If you had to describe the Battery Workforce Challenge in one word, what would it be—and why?
Future. We are seeing more electric vehicles; it’s a growing industry. We also have more electric mobility projects coming up for new students looking to work in clean mobility. We are aiming to be selected as a participating team for the next big electric vehicle competition—Eco Car.
