Pedro Neto had already worked in Brazil’s electric vehicle industry for four years when he switched gears to join the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC), home to one of the world’s largest academic EV research programs. 

Neto, who is working on his PhD, planned on doing a master’s degree initially, not wanting to spend too much time in academia away from industry, until he realized that industry is directly involved with research at McMaster.  

“I realized that MARC is very, very hands-on,” says Neto. “Most people I know here are more hands-on than people I used to work with at actual companies, so this changed my whole perspective of my future.” 

Neto is among more than 100 students working under McMaster Engineering Professor Ali Emadi, a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) Laureate. He also holds the Tier I Canada Research Chair in Transportation Electrification and Smart Mobility. 

“MARC is where researchers invent and test new technology for cars, both independently and in direct partnership with major auto makers,” says Emadi.

“Students here are on the bleeding edge of technology in collaboration with the industry and they have opportunities to do work with tangible, real-world results.” 

Innovative electric motors without rare earth metals 

That work includes the development of novel switched reluctance motors (SRMs), a type of electric motor that doesn’t use permanent magnets. It eliminates the need for rare earth metals, the mining of which produces massive amounts of waste.  

Emadi’s McMaster-based startup Enedym Inc., which is leading the way on SRMs, has also created a digital software platform that designs and prototypes new motors much more quickly than the standard industry level. 

This technology has the potential to bring about a whole new way of manufacturing electric vehicle powertrains, Emadi says. 

“Using this software enables us to overcome the design bottleneck that is expensive, inefficient, and ultimately an impediment to innovation,” says Emadi.

“We know the industry needs to change and this model has the ability to benefit companies and consumers through a more streamlined manufacturing process.” 

The SRM is making its debut via McMaster’s contribution to the General Motors-sponsored EcoCAR competition, a four-year automotive engineering challenge in which universities from across North America compete to design a next-generation battery electric vehicle. 

First passenger on-road electric vehicle powered by next-generation SRM 

The Cadillac LYRIQ the McMaster EcoCAR team is working on will be the first such passenger on-road vehicle in the world powered by a new switched reluctance motor, says project manager and PhD student Vincent Lombardi. 

“What really drew me to McMaster is the chance to be at the forefront of new technology like switched reluctance motors, and to work on it just before it reaches the global mainstream.” 

He has been involved with EcoCAR for almost seven years. The program is designed to prepare students for the workforce, but Lombardi’s passion for the team’s work at MARC inspired him to pursue graduate studies. 

“I think this is where McMaster really stands apart from many other research institutions,” says Lombardi. “Elsewhere, you might work on automotive research that mirrors what industry is already doing. But here at MARC, we’re developing technology that hasn’t yet been adopted by other manufacturers.” 

Part of the reason MARC is so conducive to this spirit of discovery is Emadi’s encouragement to push boundaries, says Lombardi. 

“He has a great vision for the future of electrification, transportation and what we see going forward,” says Lombardi.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that it’s okay to take risks and try new things.” 

MARC is also known for its highly collaborative environment, says master’s student Laura Giron, who has found support for her love of learning and working on emerging hardware technology.  

“Even though we’re working on systems and solving problems that you would encounter in industry, the environment here gives you the opportunity to explore and learn from your mistakes without having them cost millions of dollars at a major production level operation,” says Giron. “It’s a space that encourages exploration, where you’re constantly learning while building practical skills for the workforce. It’s awesome.” 

Like Lombardi, Giron got her start at MARC through EcoCAR and discovered she had an enthusiasm for hardware design. Her research is focusing on high-power density inverters for electric vehicles, which are required to convert DC power to AC to drive the motor. 

“Basically, I’m trying to generate a highly power-dense inverter that controls the switched reluctance motor, which is something that has never been on the market before. Designing the board for that and doing all the testing for it is a long process, but it’s so fun.” 

Working with top researchers in the field 

One of the reasons MARC is such a special place to study is because it brings people from all walks of life together in a collaborative fashion, Giron says. “There are all these different age groups and everyone works together and it’s a really beautiful thing.  

“We have a very close-knit community. When you come here, you really feel like you’re part of a family and you have the encouragement to grow as a person.” 

Neto agrees. In fact, his professors and colleagues at MARC helped shape his specialization — considering systems integration within electric motor controls. 

“You have a bunch of systems in your car, and you have lots of people that are specialized in each of those systems but here, researchers understand how to integrate those systems and make them work together,” says Neto.  

That’s the No. 1 advantage of MARC, Emadi says. 

“Our faculty and students don’t focus on just one specialized area of research. We are truly exceptional here at MARC because we approach every challenge from a multi-dimensional systems perspective. We know that it’s important to have a big picture mindset when designing transportation for the future.”