Educational Alternatives, Volume 21, 2023

Abstract: Automotive engineering education of the past was based mainly on mechanical items like chassis, powertrain and internal combustion engines. Due to powertrain transformation towards hybrid and electrical systems as well as more and more driver assistance systems including more and more sensors and actors, the electronic and IT fraction in modern cars increased over the past years from nearly nothing up to approximately 35 % of the automotive value creation chain. Hence, the curriculum of study courses related to automotive engineering has to be endorsed with electronic and IT based course topics. This endorsement has to cover lectures and additionally laboratory exercises. Especially the laboratory exercises should be adapted to requirements of mechanical engineering students. The conversion of laboratory exercises was very challenging, as previous knowledge of mechanical engineering students differ completely from those of electronics or informatics students. Therefore, the existing laboratory exercises has to be converted to appropriate laboratory exercises using microcontrollers as well as electrical and hybrid powertrains. New laboratory exercises from simple level like "read a sensor and control an actor" up to CAN bus communication between three controllers - all based on Arduino microcontrollers - were designed, constructed and tested with first groups of mechanical engineering students. Furthermore, laboratory exercises with a hybrid RC vehicle were established and tested. Student’s feedback was used to optimize these new laboratory exercises in an educational manner.