AUTOMOTIVE RELATED TRENDS & SUSTAINABILITY

 

1. Automotive Engineering

Key Trends & Research Areas

• Electrification & Hybrid Powertrains: More focus on fully electric vehicles (EVs), but hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and mild hybrids remain important. Research into battery technology (higher energy density, faster charging, safer chemistries), also integration of electric motors, thermal management in EVs. 

• Alternative Fuels & Combustion Modes:

  • Biofuels, synthetic fuels, hydrogen fuel cells. 

  • Advanced combustion methods (e.g. HCCI — homogeneous charge compression ignition) to get higher efficiency + lower emissions. 

• Lightweight Materials & Green Materials: Using composites, natural fibers, recycling materials, bio-based polymers to reduce vehicle mass. Light weight means better energy efficiency. 

• Waste Heat Recovery: Systems to capture energy lost via exhaust or cooling systems — e.g. thermoelectric devices, organic Rankine cycle, turbocompounding. 

• Autonomous / Driver Assistance Technologies: ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), sensor fusion (lidar, radar, cameras), vision-based systems, algorithms for decision making, safety & validation. 

• Connectivity, Data, and Digital Twins: Using data from vehicles (telemetry), simulations + digital twins for design, testing, monitoring. Also structuring automotive data for better systems engineering. 

• Functional Safety & Cybersecurity: As cars become more software- and connectivity-heavy, ensuring safety and protecting against cyber attacks is crucial. Standards are evolving. 

Skills to Build

• Thermodynamics, combustion theory, battery electrochemistry

• Materials science (especially composites, polymers, bio‑materials)

• CAD, CAE, simulation (FEA, CFD)

• Embedded systems, sensors, control systems

• Machine learning / data analytics for vehicle data

• Understanding standards (safety, emissions, regulations)

Possible Projects / Study Areas

• Design and simulate a hybrid powertrain component (e.g. battery pack + cooling)

• Implement an ADAS feature using inexpensive sensors (camera + ultrasonic)

• Material testing: compare mechanical properties of natural-fibre composites vs standard materials

• Waste‐heat recovery module simulation (ORC or thermoelectrics) for engine exhaust