The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research

What The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research does

The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research (CAR) is a university research center founded in 1991 and embedded within Ohio State University's College of Engineering in Columbus, Ohio. The center conducts applied and fundamental research across automotive and mobility domains, including vehicle electrification, autonomous systems, propulsion, vehicle safety, and smart mobility, and operates seven student project/competition teams. CAR is led by Director Giorgio Rizzoni, who has held the role since 1999, and is supported by 59 paid staff, 49 collaborating faculty, and 123 students gaining research experience.

The center's revenue model is a hybrid of competitive federal research grants (Department of Energy, National Science Foundation), industry consortium memberships and sponsored projects from major OEMs (General Motors, Honda, Stellantis), and corporate sponsorships of student competition programs. The center does not sell commercial products; instead, it delivers research deliverables, trained graduates, prototypes, and competition vehicles to its sponsors and the broader research community. Notable technical outputs include IEEE-recognised work on LEO satellite (Starlink) positioning, navigation, and timing, and Digital Twin modeling for energy systems. CAR also runs the EcoCAR EV Challenge team, which has won Years 1, 2, and 3 of the competition (2023–2025).

CAR serves a three-sided audience: (1) federal agencies that fund pre-competitive mobility research, (2) OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers that consume research output and access engineering talent, and (3) students who use CAR as a training platform. Its strategic value to sponsors is a combination of low-cost, high-quality research labor, access to graduate talent pipelines, and visibility through competition programs that double as recruiting channels.

Name

The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research

Legal name

The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research

Website

https://car.osu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research is a university research center that conducts funded research in vehicle electrification, autonomy, propulsion, safety, and smart mobility for OEMs, federal agencies, and students through grants, industry consortiums, and student competition programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Research and Engineering Services

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320), Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.) (MPAKABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive (EDABALAB), Automotive Infotainment, Telematics & Connectivity Hardware Manufacturing (TCU/V2X/GNSS) (IMACAJAH), Hybrid Powertrain Integration Manufacturing (ICE-HEV/PHEV modules) (IMACAHAJ)

Keywords

• Automotive research
• Vehicle electrification
• Autonomous driving
• Engineering services
• Student motorsports

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Contracts: Funded by government agencies (DOE, NSF, USDOT) and industry partners for specific research projects
2. Industry Consortium Membership: CAR Consortium provides industry partners access to research capabilities and student talent pipeline
3. Student Competition Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors (GM, Honda, Stellantis) fund student motorsports teams in exchange for research collaboration and workforce development

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research (CAR) is an interdisciplinary university research center that conducts applied automotive research, develops advanced vehicle technologies, and trains engineers through graduate and undergraduate programs and student motorsports competition teams. It sells sponsored research, engineering services, consortium membership, and graduate education to automotive OEMs, government agencies, and industry partners across electrification, autonomous vehicles, propulsion, safety, and smart mobility.

Product overview

The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) at The Ohio State University College of Engineering is an interdisciplinary research center offering a portfolio of student competition programs, academic programs, industry partnership services, and research platforms. The primary offerings include motorsports student project teams (EcoCAR EV Challenge, Formula Buckeyes, Buckeye Current, Venturi Buckeye Bullet), graduate academic specialization, the CAR industry consortium, engineering contract research services, and specialized research platforms like the Digital Twin energy simulation. CAR does not offer commercial software products but provides research collaboration, workforce development, and experiential learning through its programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACCELERATE: Workforce readiness and leadership development program for undergraduate engineering students, delivered in partnership with CAR, including seven-week spring seminar series and one-week summer residential experience with hands-on workshops and career development sessions.
• ACCELERATE 2.0
• EcoCAR Team
• Formula Buckeyes
• Buckeye Current
• Buckeye Bullet

Products and services

• EcoCAR EV Challenge Team

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved 10-meter horizontal accuracy using Starlink LEO satellite signals for positioning (alternative to GPS)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Honda Research Institute (HRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026CAR and Honda Research Institute are developing a Digital Twin of Ohio State's campus energy ecosystem. The collaboration integrates 1000+ smart meters across 290 buildings for real-time energy consumption analysis and optimization. HRI is co-funding the research through the Ohio State-Honda Partnership.
• StellantiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Stellantis joined GM as a sponsor for the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, providing 2026 Jeep Cherokee hybrid vehicles to competing teams including Ohio State. This is the first collaboration between two major automakers in the same AVTC series in over 25 years.
• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Argonne National Laboratory manages the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge competition series sponsored by DOE. Ohio State was selected as one of 20 universities to participate. Argonne coordinates the competition and provides technical oversight.
• Columbus State Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2024Columbus State students collaborated with Ohio State on the Battery Workforce Challenge team to design, build, and test an advanced EV battery pack. The team won an award for their collaboration at competition.
• Wilberforce UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2022Ohio State partnered with Wilberforce University (an HBCU) for the EcoCAR EV Challenge. The partnership has won first place in all three years of the competition (2023-2025). The collaboration focuses on providing diverse students with skills and experience in electric vehicle technology.
• General Motors (GM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Since 2016, GM has supported K-12 outreach and experiential learning programming in Ohio State's College of Engineering through the CAR Consortium. Most recent grant of $115,000 brings cumulative giving to over $1 million. GM provides vehicles (Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevy Blazer) for EcoCAR competitions and technical mentoring.
• FKFS (Forschungsinstitut für Kraftfahrtwesen und Fahrzeugmotoren) University of StuttgartminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2013CAR collaborated with FKFS at University of Stuttgart on an international summer school program teaching systems competence in electric, hybrid and combustion powertrains. Ohio State faculty taught courses on energy analysis, control, and battery systems.
• SAIC Motor CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2013Ohio State visited SAIC Motor Corporation during a China trip as part of efforts to establish research relationships with Chinese automakers. Ohio State is reportedly the first U.S. university to approach SAIC's Advanced Engineering R&D group.
• Jianghuai Automobile Company (JAC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2013Through the Columbus-Hefei EcoPartnership, Ohio State is working with JAC on electric vehicle development to meet new fuel economy standards in China, similar to CAFE standards in the U.S.
• Cyclone Power TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2013CAR partnered with Cyclone Power Technologies for commercialization of their Waste Heat Engine technology. CAR performed finite element and dynamic stress analysis, followed by independent durability testing. Cyclone planned manufacturing operations in Ohio creating 75-100 local jobs.
• University of Stuttgart FKFSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2013Giorgio Rizzoni was appointed to the Board of Trustees of FKFS at University of Stuttgart. FKFS is an independent research institute providing R&D services for the international automotive industry.
• Honda-OSU PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2012The Honda-OSU Partnership is a bilateral collaboration between Ohio State and Honda of America Manufacturing supporting initiatives in education, research, and public service. Honda is a major sponsor of Buckeye Current electric motorcycle team.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stanford Center for Automotive Research (CARS): Stanford's automotive research center operating in the same academic-research-with-industry-consortium model as CAR, with comparable focus on autonomy, electrification, and industry-sponsored research.
• MIT Mobility Initiative: MIT's interdisciplinary mobility research consortium spanning autonomous vehicles, electrification, and urban mobility. Overlaps with CAR's research scope and shares the academic-industry consortium model with major OEM participation.
• UC Berkeley PATH (Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology): University research center focused on advanced transportation technologies, intelligent transportation systems, and connected/autonomous vehicle research. Comparable to CAR in scope, government funding mix, and industry partner model.
• Virginia Tech Transportation Institute: One of the largest university-affiliated transportation research centers in the US, with deep federal and industry funding and a focus on vehicle safety, automation, and smart mobility. Directly comparable in scale and research portfolio to CAR.
• Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR): University-based automotive research campus with deep industry collaborations and motorsports engineering programs. Comparable to CAR in its academic-industry consortia model and automotive engineering focus.
• University of Michigan Mcity: University-affiliated automotive research center focused on connected and autonomous vehicle testing, research, and industry consortium work. Closest direct peer to CAR given shared model of academic research center, OEM consortium, and AVTC competition participation.

Broad incumbents

• Argonne National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory that manages the EcoCAR/AVTC competition series and runs large-scale automotive and battery research programs. A sponsor and partner of CAR, but operates at a significantly larger scale and serves as both a competitor and ecosystem anchor.
• Transportation Research Center Inc (TRC): Largest independent automotive proving ground in North America, affiliated with Ohio State. Provides automotive testing infrastructure and engineering services that complement CAR's research capabilities, making it both an adjacent peer and partner.
• University of Michigan Automotive Research Center (US Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center): Federally funded automotive research center at U-Michigan focused on ground vehicle autonomy, propulsion, and safety. Comparable to CAR's defense-adjacent research and consortium-based funding model.

Regional players

• FKFS University of Stuttgart: Independent German automotive research institute and existing CAR partner. Comparable as an automotive-focused research organization serving the global industry, but Europe-based and not a direct domestic competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OSUCtrAutoRsrch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OSUAutoResearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/OSUCenterforAutomotiveResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/osucar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research