Michigan Community College To Start Classes on Hybrid Vehicle Repair

Washington DC March 25, 2006; The AIADA newsletter reported that Macomb County Community College in Warren, Michigan, plans to debut two, 16-week hybrid repair courses for its 950 students during the 2006-07 school year.

The college received a 3-year, $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation in order to cover costs of creating the new curriculum, reports The Detroit Free Press. Classes will start despite some struggles in finding material on hybrids. "It's a little difficult getting some information because the technology is so new that it is not widely circulated," said Stan Urban, one of three auto instructors formulating the new program.

Automakers with hybrids in their lineup typically train their dealership mechanics in house, and some have invited Urban and his colleagues to attend training classes, according to the paper. Hybrids currently make up a little over 1 percent of the U.S. auto market, but analysts say that number will double this year.