SOUTHFIELD, Mich., June 15, 2023 – Dr. Steven Przesmitzki was appointed executive director of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), effective June 5, as announced by the USCAR Council.
Przesmitzki comes to USCAR with over 30 years of automotive and transportation experience, including 14 years at Ford Motor Company. Most recently he served as interim director of the Transportation and Power Systems Division in addition to his role as the laboratory program manager for Vehicle Technologies at Argonne National Laboratory. In these positions at Argonne, he worked on future transportation, mobility and power solutions with ground-breaking experimental and analytical activities, and directly managed a staff of over 120 researchers with a budget exceeding $40 million annually.
“We are excited to welcome Steve as the new USCAR Executive Director,” said Kent Helfrich, member of USCAR Council and chief technology officer, vice president, Research & Development, General Motors. Helfrich serves on the three-member governing USCAR Council along with Matt Jones, executive director – Technology Strategy, Research & Advanced Engineering, Ford Motor Company, and Steve Rober, senior vice president and global head of Electronics & Semiconductors at Stellantis.
“Steve’s proven track record in transportation leadership and research give him the skills and experience needed to enhance and grow USCAR’s research and development portfolio,” Helfrich said. “In addition, his existing relationships will strengthen USCAR’s important strategic partnerships.”
Prior to Argonne, Przesmitzki was the global head of Strategic Mobility, Climate and Energy Analysis and head of Strategic Transport Analysis and Outlooks for Aramco. He also was a technology development manager for fuels and lubricants within the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office; a senior project manager researching fuels for DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory; and a lead powertrain design and development engineer at Ford.
“I look forward to this opportunity to build upon USCAR’s history of success,” Przesmitzki said. “Following the legacy of my accomplished predecessors will be both an honor and a challenge, but I’m ready to take the wheel, put my foot on the gas and steer USCAR into a new era of transportation and technology research.”
Przesmitzki holds a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Science from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science from Kettering University, all in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers and serves on several advisory boards and committees.
About USCAR
USCAR is the collaborative automotive technology company for Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Stellantis. The goal of USCAR is to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative research and development. For more information, visit www.uscar.org.
6/15/23 ###
