Atherva Gajinkar

- Lead the engineering development of functional and aesthetic vehicle interior components, specifically for center console, floor carpets and hard trims - Collaborate with cross-functional teams - Studio (styling), Ergonomics (human factor), Crash (safety), Noise Vibration and Harshness (robustness), materials (optimal selection) to engineer robust designs that meet form, fit and functional targets - Generate engineering documentation including DFMEA, DFM and DFA assessments and coordinate with cross-functional groups to ensure design feasibility and serviceability - Participate in design studies using CAE evaluation of interior components to ensure optimal balance of form, function and regulatory compliance - Manage the release of 3D models and 2D drawings of parts within Product Lifecycle Management system and issue engineering BOMs for component procurement - Oversee engineering testing and validation activities, translating test outcomes into iterative design improvements to address identified failures - Drive engineering changes to continuously optimize cost, quality, and performance of interior components and prepare business cases for such changes

- Led the validation of the Cybertruck's entire interior system, ensuring a balance between durability required for its unique use case and a premium user experience. - Managed safety-critical component validation (instrument panel, headliner) through airbag deployments, sled tests, and crash tests. Incorporated failure data to refine designs and enhance occupant safety - Established an interactive platform for streamlined collaboration with suppliers and testing labs. This platform facilitated part, component, and vehicle-level validation, improved data traceability, and minimized recurring issues. This platform's success has led to its implementation across other programs, promoting knowledge sharing and best practices.

- Led the comprehensive validation of Cybertruck hard trim and overhead systems, ensuring durability and functionality through rigorous testing - Progressed from executing tests to proactively identifying and mitigating potential field failures, proposing effective countermeasures -Contributed to safety and homologation testing, ensuring compliance with FMVSS, US NCAP, IIHS, and other regulatory standards. This work directly contributed to delivering a safe and reliable product to customers

• Led the engineering development of CAE model for powertrain components used in virtual validation for EMC testing • Built a complete powertrain CAE model of Tesla's New Vehicle Program (due for launch) including drive units, battery packs, drive inverters and BIW through use of CATIA V5 and Hypermesh • Promoted virtual testing for EMC by developing a model with a correlation accuracy of 40% ( for the first prototype ) which in future would reduce enclosure development lead time by nearly 6-7 weeks.

As a sub-team member for body Structures of DO14 vehicle, I was the liaison between Powertrain, Vehicle Dynamics, and Autonomy teams in designing the structural frame for the Deep Orange 14 Vehicle. During this time I: • Designed the underbody structure of the chassis for DO14 series-hybrid vehicle prototype using Siemens NX to integrate and package powertrain components including motors, high voltage battery and engine with improved packaging density as compared to previous prototype • Performed 1D linear static FE analysis of the spaceframe using Hyperworks – for material selection, optimize member cross section for bending /torsional rigidity resulting in mass saving of nearly 13 % along with generation of manufacturing drawings with provided GD&T specifications • Led a team of 4 engineers and cross functional teams through development cycle from concept to production of body structures subsystem in record 5 months which previously took almost 8 months thus allowing more time for testing, data collection and capability enhancement tasks before official launch

Deep Orange is a student-driven vehicle prototyping project. This Project brings together students and Industrialists in developing next-gen vehicles according to a specific set of requirements. The 14th edition of Deep Orange will develop an Autonomous Disaster Response Vehicle. Undertaken projects were: • Design of transmission subframe for mounting and packaging motor-gearbox assembly. Performed detailed structural analysis to ensure a sufficiently rigid frame to sustain forces from the driveline and provide appropriate propulsive reaction • Lead engineer on the “Design and Development of Ballistic Grille” project for Deep Orange 14 prototype vehicle. Responsibilities included: o Performing detailed analysis of airflow requirement for efficient cooling of engine, batteries, high and low voltage components o Designing the ballistic grille for controlled air flow circulation into the cooling system and to avoid any projectiles entering the space thus avoiding potential damage to the cooling components o Oversee procurement and fabrication activities by interacting with manufacturers and suppliers

I worked with Tata Technologies Ltd. in their additive manufacturing domain and familiarized myself with the advanced concepts of Engineering Design. I used Altair Inspire to: • Remodel a bracket for door application in automotive and aerospace, • Successfully reduced mass of the conventional component by nearly 40% without affecting structural integrity • Developed a 3D printed prototype of the optimized part for better visualization and further analysis

As an intern, I was tasked with: • Performing troubleshooting of worn-out electric bikes • Reviving the bikes with improved performance These revamped bikes are currently in operation at the local outlet of Faasos – a food delivery chain

• I was part of the structures team, wherein my role was to develop a suitable chassis for racecar application • We developed a tubular spaceframe design using Solid works modelling tool, considering the assembly of different subsystems into the vehicle • An FE analysis was performed on the chassis to assess its torsional and bending rigidity to ensure sufficient stiffness of the frame under given loading conditions. Material chosen for the frame was steel which met the design considerations and satisfied our purpose

Worked as a design engineer with the Deep Orange team at ICAR to develop an off-road autonomous rescue operational vehicle in collaboration with the United States Ground Vehicle Systems Centre ( GVSC ).