Automobile Engineering Course

About Automobile Engineering Course

Ever wondered about how transportation vehicles are actually made and put together? Whether it's a bus, scooter, bicycle, or even your favorite sports car, these are all designed by automobile engineers who are relentlessly working to create every part of a transport vehicle and they put it all together into a masterpiece! Automotive Engineering deals with the manufacture and maintenance of cars, from manufacturing various components to designing vehicles, assembling and testing them to ensure driver safety and security. Here is a complete guide to what this field of study is, the top programs on offer, major universities and the career scope required!

What is Automotive Engineering?

It is a specialized branch of Mechanical Engineering and is concerned with the study of automotive design and manufacture such as cars, vehicles and their engines. it is a branch of engineering that deals with the development, design, production, manufacturing testing, servicing, management and control of automobiles. The main focus areas of its implementation are in vehicle design, the procedures involved in the production of cars, the manufacture of motorcycle engines and fuel management. Furthermore, this field of study is an interdisciplinary combination of different types of engineering including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Electronic Engineering and Safety Engineering.

A development engineer has the responsibility for coordinating delivery of the engineering attributes of a complete automobile (bus, car, truck, van, SUV, motorcycle etc.) as dictated by the automobile manufacturer, governmental regulations, and the customer who buys the product.

Much like the Systems engineer, the development engineer is concerned with the interactions of all systems in the complete automobile. While there are multiple components and systems in an automobile that have to function as designed, they must also work in harmony with the complete automobile. As an example, the brake system's main function is to provide braking functionality to the automobile. Along with this, it must also provide an acceptable level of: pedal feel (spongy, stiff), brake system “noise” (squeal, shudder, etc.), and interaction with the ABS (anti-lock braking system)

Another aspect of the development engineer's job is a trade-off process required to deliver all of the automobile attributes at a certain acceptable level. An example of this is the trade-off between engine performance and fuel economy. While some customers are looking for maximum power from their engine, the automobile is still required to deliver an acceptable level of fuel economy. From the engine's perspective, these are opposing requirements. Engine performance is looking for maximum displacement (bigger, more power), while fuel economy is looking for a smaller displacement engine (ex: 1.4 L vs. 5.4 L). The engine size however, is not the only contributing factor to fuel economy and automobile performance. Different values ​​come into play.

Other attributes that involve trade-offs include: automobile weight, aerodynamic drag, transmission gearing, emission control devices, handling/roadholding, ride quality, and tires.

The development engineer is also responsible for organizing automobile level testing, validation, and certification. Components and systems are designed and tested individually by the Product Engineer. The final evaluation is to be conducted at the automobile level to evaluate system to system interactions. As an example, the audio system (radio) needs to be evaluated at the automobile level. Interaction with other electronic components can cause interference. Heat dissipation of the system and ergonomic placement of the controls need to be evaluated. Sound quality in all seating positions needs to be provided at acceptable levels.