By Ph. D. Artūrs Bogdanovs, Senior Researcher and Lecturer at Riga Technical University
Introduction
As a researcher and lecturer in power electronics at Riga Technical University, my work focuses on advanced energy conversion systems and their applications in electric vehicles. My academic background includes a doctoral thesis titled “Research and Development of Auxiliary Converters for Application in Electric Vehicles”, defended in 2023, which explored the design and optimization of converter systems for automotive applications.
In parallel with research, I have been actively involved in engineering education. Since 2020, I have been teaching courses related to Electric Vehicle Technologies and Innovative Automotive Technologies, working directly with students to introduce modern concepts in electromobility.
This combination of research and teaching experience has provided a unique perspective on how rapidly evolving technologies interact with the structure of modern curricula.
One of the most striking examples of this interaction can be observed in the field of battery technologies and electric mobility systems.
The Rapid Evolution of Electric Mobility and the Education Gap
The transition towards electric mobility is no longer a future scenario — it is already happening at scale. Electric vehicles are becoming a common part of everyday traffic across Europe and globally, driven by technological progress, regulatory frameworks, and increasing demand for sustainable transport.
At the same time, the underlying technologies are evolving at an exceptionally fast pace. Advances in battery systems, charging infrastructure, and power electronics are continuously reshaping the capabilities of modern electric vehicles.
However, this rapid development is not yet fully reflected in the education system.
Across different levels of education — from vocational training to higher education — the integration of electric vehicle technologies remains limited. Traditional curricula are often slow to adapt, and students are not always exposed to the interdisciplinary nature of modern electric mobility systems.
This creates a clear gap between industry needs and the competencies of future engineers and technicians.
To address this challenge, it is essential to systematically integrate electric vehicle and battery technology courses into both vocational and higher education programmes. Such integration should not only focus on theoretical knowledge but also emphasize practical understanding, system-level thinking, and real-world applications.
This gap was one of the key motivations behind piloting the study module Battery Technology & Systems.
From Concept to Practice: Piloting Battery Technology Education
Rather than approaching this challenge purely from a theoretical perspective, the pilot focused on a practical question: how do students engage with modern battery-related content when it is introduced within an existing engineering curriculum?
The module was integrated into an automotive engineering course and delivered as a structured, self-paced learning activity. Students worked through digital learning materials covering essential topics such as battery fundamentals, aging mechanisms, and charging systems.
From an educational perspective, the pilot revealed a clear and important result: students immediately recognized the relevance of the topic.
Battery technologies were not perceived as an abstract subject, but as a core component of modern engineering practice — directly linked to real-world systems encountered in industry and everyday life.
At the same time, the pilot highlighted a deeper challenge.
While the content itself was well received, student feedback consistently pointed to the importance of how this knowledge is delivered and assessed. In particular, issues related to quiz structure, clarity of questions, and assessment logic significantly influenced the overall learning experience.
This observation reinforces a broader insight: introducing modern topics into education is not only about updating content — it requires equally careful design of the learning process itself.
Another important takeaway from the piloting experience was the need for stronger support in understanding complex interdisciplinary concepts. Students indicated that additional explanations, worked examples, and clearer conceptual connections would significantly improve comprehension.
This reflects the inherent nature of battery systems, which combine elements of physics, electronics, and system-level engineering — and therefore require a more guided learning approach than traditional single-discipline topics.
Overall, the piloting experience demonstrates that integrating electric vehicle technologies into engineering education is both feasible and highly valuable. However, it also shows that successful implementation depends on a balanced combination of relevant content, well-designed assessments, and adequate explanatory support.
Please find presentation (ppt) about piloting experience in Riga Technical University here.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
The transition towards electrified transport is not only transforming industry but also redefining the competencies required from future engineers.
The experience gained from piloting the Battery Technology & Systems module confirms that students are ready to engage with modern, industry-relevant topics. However, it also highlights that education systems must evolve not only in terms of content, but also in terms of methodology and delivery.
Future development of such modules will focus on improving assessment quality, strengthening explanatory materials, and ensuring a more robust and user-friendly learning experience.
With these improvements, study modules in battery technology and electric mobility have strong potential to become an integral part of both vocational and higher engineering education — helping to bridge the gap between technological innovation and workforce readiness.
Ph. D. Artūrs Bogdanovs, Senior Researcher and Lecturer at Riga Technical University
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.