Vehicle Engineering - Powertrain Internship (Fall 2021)

Disclaimer: This position is expected to start around August or September 2021 and continue through the entire Fall term (i.e. through December/January) or into early Spring 2022 if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time, for most internships. Please consider before submitting an application.

International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week. Many students will be limited to part-time depending on their academic standing.

Internship Program at Tesla
The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize emerging talent. Our year around program places the best students in positions that they will grow both technically and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows for the intern to experience life at Tesla by given them projects that are critical to their team’s success.
Instead of going on coffee runs and making copies, you’ll be seated at the table making critical decisions that will influence not only your team, but the overall achievement of Tesla’s mission.

About the Team

Interns within Powertrain Engineering will design, test, and prototype mechanical and/or electrical components and systems both for current and future Tesla product programs. Your scope of work will be a combination of mechanical, electrical, design, and software projects depending on team requirements, challenging you to come up with creative solutions to affect rigorous quality and cost-down targets. Additionally, you will work collaboratively with cross-functional partners, external vendors, and suppliers.

Your application to the Powertrain Engineering Internship will be considered for all opportunities across the teams below.

Teams

• Battery Engineering
• Drive Unit Manufacturing
• Mechanical Design Engineering
• Mechanical Drive Systems (including Motors and Gearboxes)
• Electronic Design Engineering
• Energy Engineering
• Vehicle Controls and Vibrations
• System Architecture
• Research and Development

What to Expect

Mechanical Subset:

• Design, fabricate, and program test equipment for the validation of mechanical and electromechanical parts.
• Model components and assemblies in CAD (Solidworks, CATIA V5).
• Solve electronics packaging issues: isolation, EMC, heat sinking and cooling, tolerances, materials, fastening, and machine design elements.
• Mechanical wrenching, basic fabrication, machining, wiring, general electronics, debugging, and parts chasing.
• Automotive component/system testing including environmental and safety testing.
• Further develop understanding of thermodynamics and heat transfer, high voltage and low voltage DC circuits.
• Utilize understanding of thermal and mechanical modeling to test various components.

Electrical Subset:

• Read, understand and draw schematics utilizing familiarity with at least one electronic CAD tool for schematic capture (Eagle, Altium).
• Use basic lab equipment including oscilloscope, function generator, counters and network analyzers, and tools to construct and modify circuits during design debug.
• Utilize knowledge of circuit components to perform basic circuit analysis.
• Design electrical control unit architecture and circuits and develop test cases and test equipment to test electronic assemblies.
• Work with DSPs, microcontrollers, and programmable logic devices.

Requirements

Specific project assignments and required technical aptitude will vary:

• Currently working towards a BS, MS, or advanced degree in a relevant engineering program.
• Working knowledge of Matlab, Labview, and Python; GD&T required, proficiency preferred.
• Experience with communication protocols (CAN, Bluetooth, LIN, Ethernet, etc.) and RF fundamentals (LTE, UMTS, etc).
• Experience with power electronics, power supplies, high and low voltage systems.
• Knowledge of relevant manufacturing processes and a variety of engineering materials.
• Hands-on experience, previous internship and/or project experience is preferred.
• Experience with automotive environmental, reliability, and safety requirements is a plus.
• Knowledge of lithium-ion battery technology and electrochemistry a plus.
• Professional and positive communication skills.
• You must be self-managed and committed to working in a fast-paced environment.

This role is available across various Tesla locations: including headquarters in Palo Alto, CA, the factory in Fremont, CA, and Gigafactory Reno & Gigafactory Austin– must be able to relocate for the duration of your internship.