SRP Supports Launch of Electric Vehicle Course at Mesa Community College
Donation of Ford Fusion EV to Provide Hands-On Experience for Students in Growing EV Field
WHAT:
Mesa Community College (MCC) is launching a new electric vehicle (EV) training course with the donation of a 2017 Ford Fusion EV from Salt River Project (SRP). The EV was formerly part of SRP’s extensive EV fleet and will now provide students in MCC’s Automotive Services Program with hands-on training for a modern-day career in the fast-growing EV industry.
The donation, valued at $15,000, will enable the college to offer an intensive Introduction to Electric and Hybrid Vehicles course (ASE265) the first week in May, giving students an opportunity to learn EV principles before the semester ends and many of them graduate.
WHEN / WHERE:
10 a.m. on Thursday, April 18
Mesa Community College’s Automotive Service Center
1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa 85020
Located on the east side of MCC's Technology Building (TC50)
WHO:
Interviews are available with:
- Bryce Bond, chair of Applied Sciences and Technology Department, MCC
- Kate Kochenderfer, Senior Director, Supply Chain, Transportation and Flight Services, SRP
WHY:
- The Ford Fusion will give students exposure to the inner workings of an EV and an opportunity to develop and practice real-world skills in the repair, service and maintenance of a fully electric vehicle.
- MCC’s new coursework addresses growing demand for automotive specialists with EV capabilities as EV adoption increases in Arizona and nationwide.
- The MCC Automotive Service Program maintains its Master Automobile Service Technology Accreditation, the highest level of program accreditation, from the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation. This accreditation is valid through February 1, 2025.
SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest electricity provider in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving approximately 1.1 million customers. SRP provides water to about half of the Valley’s residents, delivering more than 244 billion gallons of water (750,000 acre-feet) each year, and manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed that includes an extensive system of reservoirs, wells, canals and irrigation laterals.