Tesla: Vehicle Design Intern

(May 2016 - September 2016)

In my second internship at Tesla Motors, I was part of the Instrument Panel Design group for the Model 3. My main project was on the Model 3 lateral airvent system which is documented in detail below.

Some side projects included working with SLS 3D printing and an interior buck car to generate, build, and test cockpit prototype components. I also determined various fasteners for the cockpit to BIW interface, as well as regularly maintained the Bill of Materials.

Model 3 Platform Lateral Air Vents

For my main project I was put in charge of the development of an innovative concept for vehicle air vents. This dealt with designing the mechanism to control the lateral movement of air in front of both the driver and passenger.

Unlike conventional HVAC systems, the Model 3 platform has a single long air vent in front of the driver as well as another in front of the passenger. The user controls the flow of air via the center touchscreen. Using a single motor and creative cam mechanism, we were able to create a vent with left, center, right, variable split, and closeout capabilities. This met and even exceeded the functionality of a conventional vehicles vent system.

This project entailed CAD development, prototyping, in-vehicle testing, and in depth collaboration with our 3rd party supplier. Throughout the project I worked directly with our supplier to solve design, DFM, and packaging issues. I was able to drive the project up to first tool kickoff before my internship ended.

In the end, the design concept was recognized and patented (patent website). This innovative design can be found in all Model 3, Model Y, and possibly future customer vehicles.