Jeremy Michalek
Professor, Engineering and Public Policy, Mechanical Engineering
Jeremy J. Michalek is a professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Engineering and Public Policy. He is the founding director of the Design Decisions Laboratory, founding co-director of the Vehicle Electrification Group, and an active member of the Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making. His research focuses on vehicle electrification (including technology, life cycle assessment, consumer behavior, and public policy), as well as design decision-making (including systems optimization, techno-economic analysis, and green design.
Michalek earned his B.S. from Carnegie Mellon (1999), and his M.S. (2001) and Ph.D. (2005) from the University of Michigan in mechanical engineering. He worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan before beginning his current faculty position at CMU.
Michalek teaches courses in design, product development, economic analysis, entrepreneurship, and optimization. His research has appeared in outlets such as the New York Times, and he has co-authored and presented policy briefs on Capitol Hill. He has earned awards including the ASME Design Automation Committee’s Best Paper Award, the International Journal on Research in Marketing’s Best Article Award, the George Tallman Ladd Research Award for outstanding research and professional accomplishments, the ASME Design Automation Outstanding Young Investigator Award, and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He is involved in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), and the Transportation Research Board (TRB).
EV Battery Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
Racial disparities in ride-hailing
Impacts of Ridesourcing Services
Methods for Life Cycle Analyses of Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels
Vehicle Electrification
Electric Vehicle Benefits & Costs in the U.S.
Electric Vehicle Adoption Potential in the U.S.
Education
2005 Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
2001 MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
1999 BS, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Research Interests
- advanced vehicle systems
- air quality
- autonomous driving
- batteries
- clean power systems
- consumer behavior
- electric power systems
- energy
- energy systems
- engineered systems
- engineering and public policy
- environmental engineering
- environmental systems
- green design
- management science
- mechanical engineering
- natural gas engineering
- operations research
- optimization
- product design
- product strategy and innovation
- renewable energy
- sustainability
- sustainable engineering
- systems modeling
- technical innovation
- technology policy
- transportation systems
Media mentions
WIRED
Michalek discusses federal EV charger freeze
MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted in WIRED on the recent federal government freeze on infrastructure for electric vehicles. “The freeze does really have an impact on how much infrastructure gets to roll out,” says Michalek. “It puts some players in a bad spot where they’ve already invested.”
Politifact
Michalek discusses Trump’s counter to Biden’s electric vehicle policy
MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted in Politifact on an executive order eliminating federal electric vehicle sales goals.
Marketplace
Michalek quoted on rideshare economics
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted on Marketplace about how commuters are increasingly using rideshare instead of owning a car.
Associated Press
Michalek discusses ride-hailing discrimination
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek spoke with the Associated Press about racial discrimination in ride-hailing technology. “The technology is mitigating a social issue, which is pretty rare,” Michalek explains. “Discrimination is having little effect on average wait times, at least in part because these apps are able to quickly rematch when somebody cancels. Whereas with taxis it was a very hard problem to solve.”
CMU Engineering
US industrial policy may strengthen EV battery supply chain
The Inflation Reduction Act offers incentives for diversifying the EV battery supply chain and reducing US dependence on China, but the potential impact of loopholes remains to be seen.
CMU Engineering
Ride-hailing apps mitigate impact of racial discrimination
Uber and Lyft are dramatically reducing wait-time disparities for Black riders, but the impact of systemic segregation persists.
SupplyChainBrain
Michalek speaks about autonomous grocery delivery
Jeremy Michalek spoke with SupplyChainBrain about a recent survey on how customers prefer to have their groceries delivered.
Engineering and Public Policy
Autonomous vehicles could deliver a solution to food deserts
In the near future, your groceries could be delivered to your neighborhood, street, or even front door by a drone or robot. In fact, much of the technology to make it happen already exists.
Living Planet Podcast
Michalek quoted on the pros and cons of electric cars
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted on the Living Planet podcast on how the electricity source that electric cars use can greatly alter their environmental benefits. Michalek compares electric cars using renewable energy sources and electric cars using energy sources from coal-fired power plants.
The Atlantic
Michalek quoted on Tesla Supercharger adapters
Jeremy Michalek was quoted on the potential benefits of adapters for Tesla Superchargers.
Engineering and Public Policy
Charged to make change
Hannah Morin, a dual Ph.D. major in materials science and engineering and engineering and public policy, began her tenure in GSA as a representative in the assembly for EPP, and has since progressed to vice president of campus affairs, and has now been president of the organization since December 2022.
BBC
Michalek quoted in article on the affordability of electric vehicles
MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek spoke with the BBC about electric vehicles’ journey from status symbol to affordable.
CMU Engineering
Anticipating and reducing EV battery supply disruptions
A recent study analyzes the relationship between EV battery chemistry and supply chain vulnerability for four critical minerals across particular countries that are key contributors to production.
Daily Mail
Michalek quoted on the environmental impact of electric vehicles
MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted saying that the critical factor for electrical vehicles' environmental impact was based on their coal use while recharging.
FactCheck.org
Michalek fact-checks claims about a supposed ban on gas-powered cars
In an article by FactCheck.org, EPP and MechE’s Jeremy Michalek responded to allegations that proposed federal regulations will ban gas-powered automobiles.
CMU Engineering
Shifting gears in the transition to electric vehicles
Electric vehicle emissions costs are anticpated to continue to decline through 2025, after which they will be affected by key factors such as the evolution of the power grid, battery technology, and public policy.
The Verge
Michalek discusses his research on EV adoption in rural communities
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek discusses his research on EV adoption in rural communities in The Verge. “If electric vehicles are offered as ubiquitously as gasoline vehicles, and if their technology goes where we think it’s going to go, then we would expect roughly half of people to prefer an electric over a gasoline for both cars and SUVs,” he says.
Engineering and Public Policy
The road ahead for EV adoption is made of gravel
Rural Americans face unique challenges in adopting electric vehicles (EVs). A recent study by Jeremy Michalek suggests that advancing technology could drive EV adoption in all communities, including rural ones.
PolitiFact
Michalek comments on Trump’s claims about the electric car industry
MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek comments on Trump’s claims about the electric car industry in PolitiFact. Trump says that the car industry will be leaving the United States, but Michalek believes this assertion is “substanceless.”
The Atlantic
Michalek discusses America’s shift to electric vehicles
MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek talks to The Atlantic about America’s shift to electric vehicles. “Jobs at gasoline engine manufacturing plants will shift to jobs at electric motor and battery plants,” he says.
The Sacramento Bee
Michalek provides insight on nuances of fast-charging EV batteries
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek explains the feasibility of fast-charging batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).
Kiplinger
Michalek speaks on EV charger availability
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek commented on plans to increase the availability of electric vehicle (EV) chargers next year.
CMU Engineering
How sustainable is online grocery delivery?
Researchers investigated the impacts of online grocery delivery on energy use, emissions, and traffic congestion.
MIT Technology Review
Michalek quoted in MIT Technology Review
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek quoted in MIT Technology Review on battery-swapping programs for EVs.
CMU Engineering
Tech advances will drive the transition to electric vehicles
Researchers found that advances in EV technology will likely bring significant growth to the market, relative to gasoline powered automobiles.
PolitiFact
Michalek quoted on electric vehicle tax credit
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek spoke to PolitiFact about a recently announced tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. Michalek says that conditions to receive the $7,500—including that the model must have been assembled in North America—are ways to promote greater EV production in the US and its trading partners.
PolitiFact
Michalek quoted on electric vehicle charging needs
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted in PolitiFact about potential charging accommodations for when more electric vehicles are on the road in the United States. “We’re going to need a lot more high-speed chargers on highway corridors that are underutilized most of the year if we want to avoid long queues as people wait to charge on peak travel days,” Michalek said.
The Atlantic
Michalek talks reality of owning an electric vehicle with The Atlantic
EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek talks to The Atlantic about the reality of owning an electric vehicle – the cost of vehicles with higher MPG, the scarcity of charging stations, and the status display associated with owning an EV.