Automotive Engineering
An intuitive, interactive Automotive Engineering course covering the topics typical of the first two years of an automotive / vehicle-engineering program: vehicle dynamics, internal-combustion engines, drivetrains, electrified powertrains, chassis systems, vehicle structures, and thermal/aerodynamic management. Every lesson pairs plain-language explanations with precise diagrams, worked examples, hands-on simulations, and practice you can check yourself.
Unlock the full course →
The Automobile as a System
Vehicle architectures, packaging & layout, mass breakdown, and the regulatory fuel-economy test cycles that frame modern automotive engineering.
Vehicle Dynamics I: Longitudinal
Tractive effort against road load — rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag (qualitative here, quantified in Module 11), grade, acceleration, and braking.
Vehicle Dynamics II: Lateral & Ride
The defining flagship of vehicle dynamics — tire mechanics, the bicycle model and understeer gradient, roll & load transfer, and the quarter-car ride model.
- Spring Rate, Damping & Roll Stiffness (Bridge)Free Open →
- Tire Mechanics: Slip Angle & Slip RatioFree Open →
- The Friction Ellipse & Cornering Stiffness Open →
- The Bicycle Model & the Understeer Gradient Open →
- Roll & Lateral Load Transfer Open →
- Suspension Kinematics Open →
- The Quarter-Car Ride Model Open →
Internal Combustion Engines I: Cycles & Performance
Engine cycles and how they turn fuel into shaft work — applying (not re-deriving) the thermodynamics from Material & Energy Balances.
Internal Combustion Engines II: Combustion, Fuels & Emissions
How the charge burns, the fuels that suit it, the emissions that result, and the aftertreatment that cleans them up.
Powertrain & Drivetrain
Clutches, torque converters, the gearbox families, ratio selection, differentials, and the losses and NVH sources along the driveline.
Electrified Powertrains
The flagship module on hybrid & electric vehicles — architectures, batteries, electric machines, power electronics, regen, fuel cells, and drive-cycle energy — introduced from zero.
- Series, Parallel & Power-Split Hybrid ArchitecturesFree Open →
- Battery Cells, Modules & PacksFree Open →
- State of Charge, State of Health & C-rateFree Open →
- Electric Machines: PMSM & Induction Open →
- Torque-Speed Envelopes & Inverters Open →
- Regenerative Braking Open →
- Regen–Friction Brake Blending Open →
- Fuel-Cell (FCEV) Powertrains Open →
- Drive-Cycle Energy Consumption & Range Open →
Chassis Systems: Brakes, Steering & Suspension Hardware
The hardware that puts dynamics into metal — brake sizing and fade, ABS/ESC, steering geometry, and spring/damper/anti-roll hardware.
Vehicle Structures, Materials & Crashworthiness
The body as structure and as energy absorber — body-in-white, stiffness, crush zones, occupant deceleration, and material selection.
Automotive Electrical, Electronics & Control
12 V / 48 V architectures, sensors & actuators, ECUs & control loops, CAN/LIN networking, OBD diagnostics, a descriptive ADAS overview, and a descriptive functional-safety lesson.
Thermal Management & Vehicle Aerodynamics
Keeping everything at the right temperature — engine & EV cooling, cabin HVAC, battery thermal management — and the aerodynamics of drag and lift.
Design, Manufacturing, Testing & Capstone
The vehicle development process, design-for-manufacture basics, durability & reliability testing, and a capstone that sizes a powertrain to a target and checks the result.
New lessons are added continuously. Prefer to test yourself? Try the Automotive Engineering Aptitude test.