Automotive Engineering: What It Is & What Engineers Do

Every vehicle on the road, from an economy sedan to a fully electric SUV, is the result of thousands of engineering decisions made long before it ever rolls down an assembly line or reaches a dealership. Automotive engineering is the discipline behind those decisions: the work of designing, developing, testing, manufacturing, and continuously improving the vehicles people drive every day.

What Is Automotive Engineering?

In short, automotive engineering is the branch of engineering focused on designing, developing, testing, manufacturing, and improving vehicles and their systems. It combines mechanical, electrical, electronic, software, manufacturing, and safety engineering to create modern cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles.

Automotive engineers may specialize in areas such as vehicle structures, powertrains, brake systems, suspension, batteries, vehicle dynamics, manufacturing, software, safety, or autonomous driving, to name a few. From the first vehicle concept to final production, automotive engineering involves balancing vehicle performance (Ride and handling, safety, NVH etc.), cost, quality, reliability, and manufacturing, all to meet or exceed customer expectations.

This guide is written from the inside. Everything here reflects real, hands-on OEM experience, not just textbook theory. It covers vehicle design, manufacturing, and the engineering decisions behind the cars on the road today. Learn more about the author →

Automotive engineering provides the foundation for understanding the reasoning behind the design of your favorite vehicles, covering everything from mechanical systems and electronics to safety technologies, software controls, and vehicle dynamics. It applies to every vehicle type, from passenger cars and motorcycles to buses and heavy trucks, and it integrates multiple engineering disciplines to create machines that are safe, efficient, and reliable, from overall architecture down to the smallest component.

What Does an Automotive Engineer Do?

An automotive engineer rarely develops a vehicle alone. Modern vehicle programs involve hundreds or thousands of engineers working across different systems while balancing cost, weight, timing, manufacturing, safety, reliability, and performance. An automotive engineer’s job is to make sure a vehicle’s systems (mechanical, electrical, and software) work together as a single, safe, manufacturable product, on schedule and within cost. It’s important to remember that customers do not buy a car seat, a set of headlights, or an alternator. Customers buy the vehicle as a whole and weigh many attributes against each other when choosing one vehicle over another. So how well a vehicle comes together, how well it’s integrated, matters just as much as any single component. Depending on their role and level of experience, an automotive engineer’s day-to-day responsibilities typically include:

Designing and developing vehicle components and systems — creating and refining the parts and subsystems (body, chassis, powertrain, electronics) that make up a vehicle.
Vehicle packaging and integration — fitting every system into a fixed amount of space without compromising ergonomics, safety, or serviceability, a discipline sometimes called vehicle package engineering.
Testing and validation — verifying that a component, subsystem, system, or vehicle meets engineering and regulatory requirements before it reaches production, from bench tests to full-vehicle validation plans.
Cost and change management — balancing performance and safety targets against a program’s cost targets, while carefully tracking and managing the design changes needed to fix issues as they come up.
Manufacturing — working with plant and process engineers to make sure a design can actually be built at scale, repeatably and without sacrificing quality.
Supplier coordination — many vehicle systems are designed and built by outside suppliers, so engineers spend real time reviewing supplier designs, resolving issues, and managing that relationship.
Quality and reliability — investigating failures and durability issues on current products and feeding those lessons back into future designs.
Serviceability — acting as the voice of the technician during the design process, so the finished vehicle can actually be repaired once it’s on the road.
Performance — tuning how a vehicle drives, handles, and rides, including noise and vibration, and balancing that against fuel economy or EV range, crash performance, and weight targets.
Program management — every vehicle program runs into unexpected issues, and this team acts as the final gatekeeper when engineering, cost, and performance goals are at odds, while keeping the vehicle’s original intent and target customer in mind.

Automotive engineers during the vehicle development and design phase — During the development phase of automotive engineering, engineers turn early vehicle concepts into detailed engineering designs, a core step in the automotive design process.

Automotive production planning and engineering process — In the production planning stage, automotive engineers map out how a vehicle design becomes a manufacturable reality, coordinating tooling, processes, and vehicle systems ahead of full-scale production.

Automotive manufacturing and assembly engineering — In the manufacturing phase, automotive engineers oversee how vehicle designs are built at scale, bringing together assembly processes, quality checks, and vehicle systems on the production line.

The field is research-driven, relying heavily on mathematical modeling, simulation, and real-world testing to guide decisions from initial concept through full-scale production. Automotive engineering is generally organized around three core functions (development, production, and manufacturing), and one of the most rewarding parts of the job is working on genuinely cutting-edge technology, giving you a real chance to help shape the future of transportation. Compensation varies widely by specialization, experience, and company, with non-management automotive engineering salaries typically ranging from about $58,410 to $165,000.

Bar chart showing the non-management engineering salary range by level at Ford Motor Company — Salary range for non-management engineers at Ford Motor Company. Entry-level engineers straight out of college usually start at level 5.

What Are the Different Types of Automotive Engineering?

Modern vehicles are complex enough that no single engineer works across the entire car. Automotive engineering breaks down into distinct disciplines, each responsible for a different part of the vehicle or the development process:

Vehicle integration & package engineering — fitting every system into the vehicle and making sure they work together (explore this cluster →)
Body & structural engineering — the vehicle’s structural skeleton, materials, and crash performance (explore this cluster →)
Chassis engineering — ride, handling, and steering systems (explore this cluster →) stopping performance, thermal capacity, and how brake systems trade off against vehicle mass (explore this cluster →)
Powertrain engineering — internal combustion, hybrid, and battery-electric propulsion systems (explore this cluster →)
Electrical & electronics engineering — the growing share of the vehicle governed by electronics and code, not mechanics (explore this cluster →)
Battery & electric vehicle engineering — cell chemistry, pack design, and EV-specific systems (explore this cluster →)
Manufacturing engineering — how vehicle designs actually get built, optimization of the assembly line to enable production volume (explore this cluster →)
Quality & reliability engineering — why a vehicle holds up over time, not just at launch (see how Japanese automakers approach this →)
Vehicle testing & validation — confirming a design meets its requirements before it reaches customers (explore this cluster →)
Vehicle dynamics — how a vehicle responds to steering, throttle, and braking inputs (explore this cluster →)
Software & controls engineering — the by-wire systems and embedded software that increasingly run the vehicle (explore this cluster →)

These are just some of the disciplines, and it’s important to remember that no discipline works in isolation. A single design decision, say switching to a lighter door structure, can ripple into chassis, crash performance, manufacturing, and cost, which is why automotive engineers spend as much time coordinating across teams as they do working within their own specialty.

The Automotive Industry

The automotive industry is one of the most influential sectors in the global economy, contributing an estimated 10-40% of a country’s GDP once you account for OEM and Tier 1 manufacturing, supply chain activity, and supporting industries. Globally, that’s over $3 trillion in economic impact, with automotive engineers at the center of the innovation driving it all. Roughly 30-35% of all R&D spending in the sector goes toward engineering and technology development, a clear signal of how central this field is to the future of transportation, sustainability, and manufacturing.

Overview of automotive engineering disciplines across vehicle types — Automotive engineering covers mechanical systems, electronics, and vehicle dynamics across every vehicle type.

Is Automotive Engineering the Same as Mechanical Engineering?

Automotive engineering is technically a specialization within mechanical engineering. In the U.S., the Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies it under mechanical engineering occupation code 17-2141.02, and a mechanical engineering degree remains the standard entry point into the field. The distinction is in application, not fundamentals: a mechanical engineer might work across industries such as HVAC, robotics, or industrial equipment, while an automotive engineer applies those same core principles (statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials science) specifically to vehicle systems, including powertrain, chassis, body structure, safety, and increasingly, software-defined vehicle architecture.

In practice, most automotive engineers specialize further (into body structure, chassis, powertrain, electrical systems, or vehicle integration) rather than working generally across the whole vehicle.

What Is the Difference Between an Auto Mechanic and an Automotive Engineer?

While both professions are essential to the automotive industry, their roles differ significantly:

Automotive engineers work on vehicles in a broad and conceptual sense. They design, develop, test, and improve new vehicles or major systems such as engines, batteries, electronics, and safety features. Their work spans research, simulation, prototyping, and large-scale production.
Auto mechanics, on the other hand, diagnose, maintain, and repair vehicles already on the road. They typically work in garages or workshops, addressing issues such as engine trouble, brake wear, electrical faults, or routine maintenance.

In simple terms:
Engineers create and improve vehicles; mechanics keep them running.

What Degree Do You Need to Become an Automotive Engineer?

A bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering is the most common path into automotive engineering, and it’s what most OEMs and suppliers list as the baseline requirement for entry-level roles. A mechanical engineering curriculum covers the fundamentals, statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials, machine design, and manufacturing, that apply directly to vehicle systems.

It isn’t the only path, though. Electrical engineering, computer engineering, materials engineering, and industrial or manufacturing engineering degrees all lead into automotive careers, depending on the specialization. Electrical and computer engineers tend to gravitate toward vehicle electronics and electrical systems, batteries, and software. A smaller number of universities also offer automotive engineering as its own undergraduate degree program, layering vehicle-specific coursework on top of a mechanical engineering foundation, though it’s more common to see automotive engineering offered as a graduate-level program, such as the one at the University of Michigan–Dearborn.

Beyond the degree itself, a lot of specialization happens on the job. Graduate degrees can help engineers move into vehicle dynamics, electric vehicle systems, or engineering management, but plenty of automotive engineers build deep expertise through rotational programs, mentorship, and simply working the same systems for years. For students weighing the path, the automotive engineer’s handbook and this list of recommended reading for aspiring automotive professionals are both good starting points.

What Skills Do Automotive Engineers Need?

Technical skill alone doesn’t make a strong automotive engineer. The job also demands the ability to work across disciplines and communicate decisions clearly. The most valuable skills tend to include:

Communication — translating technical tradeoffs for program managers, suppliers, and other engineering teams who don’t share your specialty. This is probably one of the most underrated skills you will need to be a successful engineer at any large corporation.
Problem-solving — most of the job is diagnosing why something failed, or why a design won’t meet a target, under a deadline. As an engineer, you will often be solving problems you can’t just look up the answer to. This requires you to think on your own two feet and reach conclusions you can back up with data or calculations.
Cross-functional teamwork — a single vehicle program touches dozens of engineering groups, and almost nothing gets built by one person working alone. Being able to bring people together is extremely crucial, since it gives you a way to stress test your own ideas.
CAD — modeling and detailing components and assemblies is table stakes for almost every design role; see the automotive design process for how CAD fits into the broader workflow.
Engineering analysis — hand calculations and tools like finite element analysis to predict how a design will perform before it’s built.
Data analysis and simulation — increasingly, decisions are made from test data and simulation results rather than intuition alone.
Vehicle systems knowledge — understanding how your subsystem fits into the rest of the vehicle, not just your own component.
Understanding of manufacturing — a design that can’t be built at production volume and cost isn’t a finished design.
Understanding of cost and tradeoffs — every decision (weight, cost, packaging, serviceability) comes at the expense of something else, and good engineers can articulate that tradeoff.
Project management — especially as engineers become more senior, keeping a design on schedule matters as much as the design itself.

Automotive Engineering Cheat Sheet: Common Terms and Definitions

The following automotive engineering cheat sheet provides quick definitions of common vehicle systems, components, manufacturing terms, and engineering concepts. Use it as a reference while exploring the more detailed articles throughout Engineering Cheat Sheet.

Term	Definition
Autonomous Vehicles	Autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving cars, are vehicles capable of sensing their environment and operating without human involvement.
Automotive Suspension System	The automotive suspension system is a collection of parts and components that work together to provide a comfortable ride and stable handling in vehicles.
Automotive Sustainability	Automotive sustainability refers to the efforts made by the automotive industry to reduce its environmental impact, including reducing emissions and using sustainable materials.
Battery Electric Vehicle	A battery electric vehicle (BEV) is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs as its primary source of power.
Body-in-White	Body-in-white refers to the stage in automotive manufacturing when a car body’s sheet metal components have been assembled but before the final painting and trim.
Body-on-Frame	Body-on-frame is a type of vehicle construction where the body of the vehicle is mounted on a separate frame, as opposed to unibody construction.
Crashworthiness	Crashworthiness is the ability of a vehicle to protect its occupants during a crash, including structural integrity, airbags, and other safety features.
Hybrid Vehicle	A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, to drive the vehicle.
Internal Combustion Engine	An internal combustion engine is a heat engine that burns fuel to create power inside the engine itself — common examples include gasoline and diesel engines.
Leaf Spring Suspension	Leaf spring suspension is a type of suspension system used in vehicles, consisting of multiple layers of metal strips to support the vehicle’s weight and absorb shocks.
Plug-in Hybrid	A plug-in hybrid is a hybrid vehicle that can be recharged by plugging it into an external source of electric power, such as a wall outlet.
Regenerative Braking	Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a vehicle by converting some of its kinetic energy into a form that can be used later.
Ride Comfort	Ride comfort refers to the quality of the ride experienced by occupants of a vehicle, including smoothness, quietness, and absence of vibrations.
Unibody	Unibody, or unitized body construction, is a type of vehicle construction where the body and frame are integrated into a single structure.
Vehicle Dynamics	Vehicle dynamics refers to how vehicles behave and respond to various inputs, such as steering, throttle, and braking, under different driving conditions.
X-By-Wire Systems	X-by-wire systems replace traditional mechanical control systems with electronic control systems, such as throttle-by-wire or brake-by-wire systems.

Automotive Engineering Cheat Sheet — common vehicle terms, systems, and components, with links to deeper guides on this site.

Automotive Engineering Career Paths

Automotive engineers don’t all work in the same kind of environment, and where you work shapes what your day-to-day job actually looks like: how much of the vehicle you own, how much you depend on other teams, and how directly your work reaches the finished car. Common places automotive engineers work include:

Automotive manufacturers (OEMs) — companies like Ford, GM, Toyota, and Stellantis that own the complete vehicle program. OEM engineers are typically responsible for vehicle and system-level requirements, integration, and making sure everything a supplier builds actually works together in the finished vehicle. The whole has to be greater than the sum of its parts.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers — companies that design and manufacture specific systems or components (seats, brakes, electronics, batteries) to an OEM’s requirements. This includes companies such as Magna, Denso, CATL, and Bosch, to name a few. Supplier engineers tend to go much deeper on a single system than their OEM counterparts, but have less visibility into the rest of the vehicle. These engineers often optimize the off-the-shelf parts that OEMs use in their vehicles, such as alternators, seat motors, and airbags.
Engineering service companies — firms that contract out engineering talent and expertise to OEMs and suppliers, often for specific programs or specialized analysis work. You typically work at the OEM’s site alongside OEM engineers, but your paycheck comes from the contracting firm. These engineers often earn higher pay than direct OEM employees, but with little to no benefits such as paid time off, since they aren’t direct employees of the OEM. They can also be let go more easily and aren’t guaranteed that their contract will be extended.
Manufacturing facilities — plant-based engineering roles focused on production, tooling, and process, making sure designs from vehicle assembly can be built reliably at volume.
Testing and validation organizations — independent labs and OEM proving grounds that run the validation testing a design has to pass before it reaches production.
Motorsports — racing teams and series apply many of the same engineering disciplines (vehicle dynamics, powertrain, aerodynamics) under much tighter development timelines. These engineers are usually on the road and travel extensively, especially during race season.

The clearest engineering distinction is between OEM and supplier work. An OEM engineer usually owns requirements and integration: deciding what a system needs to do within the vehicle, then working with suppliers to get there. A supplier engineer usually owns the design and manufacturing of that system itself, working within requirements someone else wrote. Neither is more senior than the other; they’re just different vantage points on the same vehicle, and many engineers work both sides of that relationship over a career. For more on how that relationship plays out in practice, see the automotive engineer’s handbook.

Have Real-World Automotive Engineering Experience to Share?

This site is built on hands-on OEM experience, not just theory. If you’re a working automotive engineer with insight worth sharing, reach out here

Automotive Engineering and Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles haven’t replaced automotive engineering. They’ve added to it. Traditional disciplines like structures, chassis, manufacturing, and vehicle dynamics still apply to an EV; they’re just joined by a set of systems that didn’t exist in most gasoline-only vehicles a generation ago:

Battery systems — cell chemistry, pack design, and safety are now core automotive engineering work; see our guides to how EV batteries work and lithium battery technology.
Electric motors — most EVs use AC electric motors in place of, or alongside, an internal combustion engine.
Power electronics — inverters, converters, and energy-buffering components like supercapacitors manage how power moves through the vehicle.
Thermal management — keeping a battery pack in its optimal temperature range is one of the harder problems in EV design, directly affecting range, charging speed, and battery life.
Lightweighting — because battery packs are heavy, EV programs push especially hard on reducing vehicle weight everywhere else.
Vehicle integration — packaging a large battery pack, motors, and cooling systems into a vehicle without sacrificing interior space or crash performance.
Software — EVs lean even more heavily on software-controlled systems, extending the by-wire architecture already used across modern vehicles.
Electrical architectures — higher-voltage systems and more complex vehicle electrical and electronic architectures than a comparable gasoline vehicle.

A mechanical engineer who spent a career on internal combustion powertrains can move into EV structures or thermal management without starting over. The underlying engineering principles and physics (thermodynamics, structures, dynamics) carry over directly. What’s changed is the mix of disciplines on a given program, with electrical, software, and battery expertise now sitting alongside the mechanical fundamentals that have always defined the field.

Explore Automotive Engineering Topics

The topic clusters below organize every automotive-focused article on this site by discipline, so you can go deeper on whichever area of automotive engineering you’re studying or working in.

For a single article that walks through every major vehicle system in one place, see our vehicle systems overview.

Vehicle Structure & Body Engineering

Structure and body engineers design the parts of the vehicle that give it shape and strength, from the visible body panels to the frame and reinforcements hidden underneath. Their work centers on protecting occupants in a crash while keeping the vehicle as light and stiff as possible. Everything from how a door closes to how a vehicle performs in a collision traces back to decisions made in this discipline.

Chassis & Vehicle Dynamics

Chassis engineers are responsible for how a vehicle rides, handles, and stops, covering the suspension, steering, and braking systems that connect the car to the road. Vehicle dynamics is closely related, focusing on how those systems work together when a driver steers, accelerates, or brakes. Together, these engineers decide how a vehicle feels to drive and how safely it responds in an emergency.

Vehicle Packaging & Integration

Package engineers figure out how every system in a vehicle, from the engine to the seats to the wiring, physically fits together within a fixed amount of space. It’s a discipline built around tradeoffs, since more room for one system usually means less room for another. Package engineers work across nearly every other discipline to make sure the finished vehicle actually comes together the way it was designed.

Manufacturing & Quality

Manufacturing engineers turn a finished design into a process that can build the same vehicle correctly, thousands of times a day. Quality engineers work alongside them, tracking defects and durability issues to make sure what rolls off the line actually meets the standard it was designed to. Neither discipline can really succeed without the other, since a design that can’t be built consistently isn’t truly finished.

Powertrain & Electrification

Powertrain engineers design the systems that move the vehicle, whether that’s a traditional internal combustion engine, a hybrid system, or a fully electric drivetrain. This discipline has grown significantly with the rise of electric vehicles, adding battery design, thermal management, and energy storage to the more traditional work of engines and transmissions. What hasn’t changed is the core job: converting stored energy into motion as efficiently and reliably as possible.

Electrical & Electronic Systems

Electrical and electronics engineers design the wiring, sensors, and control units that let a vehicle’s systems communicate with each other and with the driver. Modern vehicles run on dozens of these interconnected systems, from infotainment to advanced driver assistance features to the software that manages the powertrain. As vehicles become more software defined, this discipline keeps taking on a larger share of what used to be purely mechanical work.

Frequently Asked Questions About Automotive Engineering

What is automotive engineering?

Automotive engineering is a branch of engineering focused on the design, development, testing, manufacturing, and improvement of vehicles. It combines mechanical, electrical, electronic, software, materials, safety, and manufacturing engineering to develop cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, and other transportation systems. Automotive engineers may work on complete vehicles or specialize in individual systems such as brakes, suspension, powertrains, batteries, body structures, electronics, or vehicle safety.

What does an automotive engineer do?

An automotive engineer helps design, develop, test, and improve vehicles and vehicle systems. Depending on their specialization, an automotive engineer may develop components, analyze vehicle performance, conduct simulations, investigate product failures, support manufacturing, manage suppliers, validate designs, or solve technical problems during vehicle development. The work can range from early vehicle concept development through production and ongoing product improvement.

Is automotive engineering the same as mechanical engineering?

Automotive engineering and mechanical engineering are closely related, but they are not exactly the same. Mechanical engineering is a broad discipline that applies to many industries, while automotive engineering focuses specifically on vehicles and transportation systems. Many automotive engineers have mechanical engineering degrees and then specialize in areas such as vehicle dynamics, chassis design, powertrain development, body structures, manufacturing, or electric vehicles.

What degree do you need to become an automotive engineer?

Many automotive engineers have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or another related engineering discipline. A mechanical engineering degree is particularly common because it provides a broad foundation in mathematics, physics, mechanics, design, materials, and manufacturing. Graduate degrees can also help engineers specialize in areas such as automotive systems, vehicle dynamics, electric vehicles, or engineering management.

What are the different types of automotive engineering?

Automotive engineering includes many different specialties. Common areas include vehicle systems integration, body structure engineering, chassis and suspension engineering, brake system engineering, powertrain development, electric vehicle engineering, battery engineering, vehicle electronics, software and controls, safety and crashworthiness, manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, interior, and automotive package engineering. Because a modern vehicle contains thousands of components and multiple interconnected systems, automotive engineering requires specialists who can develop individual systems while also understanding how those systems interact with the complete vehicle.

What skills do automotive engineers need?

Automotive engineers need a combination of technical and problem-solving skills. Important skills include engineering analysis, mathematics, computer-aided design, data analysis, simulation, testing, systems thinking, communication, and project management. Depending on the role, engineers may also need experience with manufacturing processes, vehicle testing, programming, controls, or supplier management. The ability to work across multiple engineering disciplines is especially important because modern vehicles require mechanical, electrical, electronic, and software systems to function together.

Do automotive engineers work on electric vehicles?

Yes. Automotive engineers play a major role in the development of electric vehicles. Mechanical, electrical, electronics, materials, industrial, and software engineers all contribute to EV development. Automotive engineers may work on battery packaging, thermal management, electric motors, vehicle structures, braking systems, vehicle controls, manufacturing processes, charging systems, and overall vehicle integration.

What software do automotive engineers use?

The software used by automotive engineers depends on their specialization. Common tools include CAD software for vehicle and component design, CAE software for structural and thermal analysis, MATLAB and Simulink for modeling and controls, computational tools for simulation, and data analysis software. Automotive engineers may also use specialized software for crash simulation, vehicle dynamics, manufacturing, tolerance analysis, computational fluid dynamics, electrical architecture, and requirements management. The specific software can vary significantly between automotive manufacturers and suppliers.

Is automotive engineering a good career?

Automotive engineering can be a rewarding career for people who enjoy solving complex technical problems and are interested in vehicles, manufacturing, technology, or mobility. The industry offers opportunities to work on mechanical systems, electric vehicles, autonomous technology, manufacturing automation, safety, software, and sustainability. Career prospects will vary by specialization and location, but engineering skills remain important across transportation equipment manufacturing and related industries. Mechanical engineering employment, for example, is projected to grow 9% from 2024 to 2034 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What is the difference between an automotive engineer and an auto mechanic?

An automotive engineer primarily focuses on designing, developing, testing, validating, and improving vehicles or vehicle systems. An auto mechanic focuses on diagnosing, maintaining, and repairing vehicles after they have entered service. In simple terms, automotive engineers help create and improve the vehicle, while mechanics help maintain and repair the vehicle throughout its service life. Both professions require technical knowledge, but their responsibilities and educational paths are different.

Can a mechanical engineer become an automotive engineer?

Yes. Mechanical engineering is one of the most common educational backgrounds for automotive engineers. Mechanical engineers have foundational knowledge in mechanics, materials, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, machine design, manufacturing, and engineering analysis, all of which are highly relevant to vehicle development. Many mechanical engineers enter the automotive industry and specialize through work experience, graduate education, training, or specific engineering roles such as chassis, body structure, brakes, powertrain, or vehicle systems engineering.

Do automotive engineers work for car manufacturers or suppliers?

Automotive engineers can work for both vehicle manufacturers and automotive suppliers. Engineers at vehicle manufacturers, often called OEMs, may be responsible for developing complete vehicles, integrating systems, establishing requirements, validating designs, and managing vehicle programs. Engineers at automotive suppliers often specialize in designing and manufacturing specific components or systems, such as braking systems, seats, electronics, batteries, lighting, suspension components, or safety systems. Automotive engineering careers can also be found in consulting firms, testing organizations, research institutions, motorsports, and manufacturing companies.

What is vehicle engineering?

Vehicle engineering is the broader process of designing, developing, integrating, testing, and manufacturing a complete vehicle. While individual engineers may specialize in specific systems, vehicle engineering focuses on ensuring that those systems work together to meet requirements for safety, performance, cost, reliability, manufacturing, and customer expectations. Automotive engineering is a type of vehicle engineering focused specifically on road vehicles — cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buses — which makes the two terms closely related, if not perfectly interchangeable.