Best Electric Vehicle Design Course – EV Courses

When it comes to the future of the automobile sector, electric vehicles are the way to move forward. Therefore, an electric vehicle design course is now integral to automotive design programs in many colleges.

Students pursuing an electric vehicle design course will also learn about electric vehicle architecture, battery technology, motor design, powertrain, and many more topics during their time there. They will also get an in-depth understanding of autonomous vehicles.

What is an Electric Vehicle Design Course?

The process of designing automobiles powered by electrical power as opposed to internal combustion engines is electric vehicle design. It involves all such factors as designing the chassis, calculating battery power, and choosing all the right components such as a motor, DC-DC converter, onboard charger, and lithium-ion battery.

The electric vehicle design course is done with the same optimization goals as any other automobile design. Making it energy-efficient, sustainable, and comfort-friendly for customers is all part of the design gamut. However, electric vehicle design also involves certain other factors such as powertrain design, battery design, thermal management, and software integration. The chassis and body design is done to fit the electric motor and battery.

Given that electric vehicles are going to be more common in the future, a design course to make them more user-friendly was a long time coming.

How an Automotive Design Course Will Help You Become an Electric Vehicle Designer?

A course in Automotive Design can lay the foundational basis for anyone looking to become an electric vehicle designer. While the inner complexities and the nitty-gritty might be different, the basics of car design will pretty much be the same.

Core concepts such as the basics of vehicle design and dynamics, material science, aerodynamics, and mechanical systems, will remain the same. An electric vehicle design aspirant will need to develop expertise in the majority of subjects taught during their automotive design course. While they will separately learn about powertrains and battery systems, they still need to figure out a way to make them sustainable.

The principles of sustainable design are equally important to an electric vehicle designer as it is to other automotive designers. Industry trends concerning electric vehicle development will fall under the current industry trends taught extensively during an automotive design course. While the components of the trends might differ for an EV designer from that of a car designer, they will still stay in touch with industry norms throughout their entire course.

Lastly, exposure to the industry through projects, internships, workshops, seminars, and other practical experiences will certainly be a very important measure of taking an automotive course. While EV designers might look out for design experiences specific to their industry, the opportunity to meet such industry experts will only come through this design course.

Collaboration and other interdisciplinary skills are always going to help any designer, let alone an electric vehicle designer.

EV Course: Key Highlights

A career in electric vehicle design can be pursued after completing a BDes (4 years) in automotive design / transportation design. After that, an Masters in automotive design can be beneficial however not mandatory. While pursuing the course, a design student will go through a series of subjects and topics and be exposed to a large variety of concepts about electric vehicle design. Here are some of the key highlights:

1. Aerodynamics

The aerodynamics of an electric vehicle is important to minimize energy loss and maximize efficiency. Low-drag design features such as sloped roofs and optimized underbody designs help in this regard.

2. Software

Due to an electric vehicle’s electronic design system, advanced software algorithms manage most components such as power distribution, regenerative braking, and driving modes. An EV usually also contains more sophisticated infotainment, navigation, and stereo systems, all of which can be easily managed with software.

3. User Experience

Focus on areas such as sustainability of materials, efficient manufacturing methods, space efficiency, noise reduction, and an overall upgrade in comfort. These are a must-learn in any electric vehicle design course.

4. Sustainability

The design phase of an electric vehicle will always consider the many ways to reduce environmental pollution. It must ensure that all the materials used are sustainable and production-efficient so that it helps preserve the ecology.

EV Design Course Overview

A course on electric vehicle design typically covers a wide array of topics, a lot of which is unique to any other automotive design course. It pertains to the in-depth understanding of the design and development of electric vehicles. While the foundational basis for vehicle design and its core concepts remain the same, EV design also offers lessons on powertrains, battery design, chassis design, thermal management, aerodynamics, etc.

Studying vehicle architecture is also part of an EV course. It is incredibly different from other car designs due to the uniqueness associated with an electric vehicle. Components such as the drivetrain have to be integrated into the chassis, weight distribution has to be balanced, and lightweight materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber are extensively employed to construct the vehicle. These play a vital part in the electric vehicle design course.

Apart from that, aerodynamics, control, energy management, and sustainability are always going to be vital components of an electric vehicle design course. EV design will remain a part of automotive design or transportation design and will become the need of the hour in the future.

Electric Vehicle Design Course: Eligibility Criteria

To pursue an electric vehicle design course, a student must pass Class 12 with an aggregate of 50% or more marks across all subjects.

They can then apply for a BDes (4 years) course in either Transportation Design or Automotive Design from any reputed college. Once they pass out their bachelor’s degree with 50% or more marks across all subjects, they can opt to study masters further in their life.

EV Design Course Syllabus

Although the course syllabus for electric design might vary from one institution to another, here are some of the core concepts that are part of any electric vehicle design course:

1. Electric Storage Solutions

It covers areas such as the design of batteries, charging areas, and the overall battery pack.

2. Aerodynamics

Elements from automotive design and EV standards are taught as part of this. Aspects such as low-drag design features and underbody design are part of this.

3. Safety Regulations

Safety concerning environmental and performance levels is part of this subject.

4. Architecture Modelling

EV architecture such as powertrain development techniques and system development models are part of this topic.

5. Control Unit

The functioning of the Control Unit, software, hardware, data management, and other development processes are part of this topic.

Several other subjects such as EV subsystems, Power and Torque, Drive Cycles, State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH), Thermal Design, etc., are part of the course syllabus too.

Admission Procedure for Electric Vehicle Design Course

To pursue a career in electric vehicle design, one needs to get admission into an automotive design or transportation design course from a reputable design school like the Strate School of Design.

The process starts with securing 50% or more marks in Class 12 and applying for a design school of choice. They need to clear the admission test specific to each institution and then clear the interview or portfolio review.

Once they clear all rounds, they can get admission into the college and pursue their course. If any student wants to pursue an Masters further in their career, they need to secure 50% or more marks in their graduation, and only then they can apply for it.

UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design) and AIEED (All India Entrance Examination for Design) are two of the common entrance tests for design colleges in India.

The Strate School of Design has its entrance exam, which is followed by an interview or a portfolio review.

Why Choose Strate?

The Strate School of Design has been around for 30 years, boasting the production of a record number of thinkers, innovators, and designers of tomorrow. In India, it has existed for 8 years, bringing the same vision into place. It provides a UGC-approved BDes degree in association with Alliance University (NAAC A+) for Transportation Design.

It is renowned for its Transportation Design course which includes some special touchpoints. It has a French pedagogy, its courses are crafted by industry experts, and it is constantly evolving with the modern-day demands of the automotive industry. Strate provides a much more industry-focused learning experience.

Moreover, it is ranked as one of the top 50 design schools in Europe and one of the top 60 design schools in the world. It provides global exposure through the year-long exchange program and international immersion program. The curriculum includes a mix of theory and practical learning. With the industry at its heart, there are industry projects for real-time learning apart from Masterclasses and workshops by Industry experts.

How is the EV Job Market?

The electric vehicle design job market is a rapidly expanding one in this era of globalization. Many luminaries like Elon Musk have already touted electric vehicles are the future of transportation. It will not only be cost-effective in the future but is also a major measure to combat environmental pollution. Therefore, there has been a huge uptick in the demand for skilled professionals in electric vehicles.

Those in design engineering, battery management systems, software development systems, and sales departments, are constantly in demand. This is due to the global adoption of EVs by the common folk.

India’s Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari claimed that the Indian EV market will rise to INR 20,00,000 crores by the year 2030, as per a report by Economic Times. It would also create 5 million direct jobs and 30 million indirect jobs.

Professionals such as design engineers, software engineers, EV test engineers, and sales and marketing specialists, will be the leading job-takers in the EV market. The main reason behind this aggressive development of the EV market can be attributed to government policies, technological advancements, and infrastructure development, among others.

What are the Top Job Roles for Electric Vehicle Professionals

Here are some of the top job roles reserved for electric vehicle design:

• Battery Management System Designer
• EV Product Designer
• EV Powertrain Designer
• EV Charging Infrastructure Designer
• Designer of Thermal Systems
• Automotive Controls Manager
• Automotive Design and Safety Specialist
• Research and Development
• EV Design Engineer

Some of the upcoming jobs in EV are ‘Battery Recycling Specialist’ and ‘EV Infrastructure Planner’.

Top Recruiters after Electric Vehicle Design Course

Some of the companies that are the biggest recruiters for electric vehicle design courses jobs in India are as follows:

• General Motors
• Bajaj Auto
• Hero Electric
• Hyundai
• Mahindra Group
• Tata Motors
• TVS Motor Company
• Mercedes Benz
• Renault
• Nissan

Frequently Asked Questions on EV Course

1. What is EV Design?

The process of designing automobiles powered by electrical power as opposed to internal combustion engines is electric vehicle design. From designing the chassis to calculating battery power and choosing all the right components such as a motor, DC-DC converter, onboard charger, and lithium-ion battery, all of it falls under EV Design.

2. What are the EV Designer Roles?

Battery Management Systems designer, EV design engineer, Thermal Systems designer, Powertrain designer, EV Product designer, and many more such roles are reserved for a pursuant of EV Design.

3. What are the Key Objectives of this Course?

The key objectives of an EV design course include battery management, powertrain design, chassis design, thermal management, aerodynamics, software engineering, sustainability, and user comfort.

4. What are the Eligibility Criteria to Take this Course?

To pursue an electric design course from any reputable design college, one must pass Class 12 with an aggregate of 50% or more marks across academics. They also need to clear the entrance exams specific to each college and clear the interview or portfolio review.