Internship, Thermal Controls Engineer, Vehicle Controls (Fall 2026)

Consider before submitting an application:

This position is expected to start September 2026 and continue through the entire Spring term(i.e., through May) if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time, for most internships. Please consider before applying.

International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per weekbeforeapplying. Again, please do not apply until you know you can work 40 hours per week. This is required for external applicants. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.

Internship Program at Tesla

The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize emerging talent. Our year around program places the best students in positions that they will grow both technically and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We provide an experience that allows for the intern to experience life at Tesla by giving them projects that are critical to their team's success.

About the Team:

As an Intern on the Vehicle Controls team, you will design, simulate, and help implement and calibrate sophisticated algorithms to manage thermal performance of the powertrain, battery-packs, heat pump, and cabin HVAC systems in Tesla's vehicles. You will be challenged by a wide range of problems like optimal thermal controls of batteries for supercharging, process control for the Tesla heat pump, thermal management of drive systems and power electronics, and even that of occupants through climate control.

• Research and develop estimation and control algorithms for thermal management of the cabin HVAC, powertrain, and heat pump, to deliver the best customer-experience in terms of performance, range, NVH, and cabin comfort
• Build numerical system models and use them to develop and refine control strategies and drive their implementation
• Work closely with Firmware, Integration, and Hardware Engineers to implement, test, and debug these algorithms on vehicle
• Monitor, investigate, and close the loop on fleet performance and customer feedback of thermal controls performance
• Advance the state-of-the-art in Thermal and HVAC Control systems

• Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical, or related field with a graduation date between December 2026 - December 2027
• Strong fundamentals of heat-transfer and thermodynamics, devices like pumps, radiators, refrigerant systems, etc.
• Background in dynamic system modeling, linear systems analysis, observers and state-estimation, and first principles design and analysis of control systems
• Demonstrated ability to ground-up design, analyze, and implement control systems in real-world applications
• Comfort working in actual vehicles and/or test-benches to test/refine controller designs
• Basic proficiency with Embedded Firmware development in C/C++ is a plus
• Basic proficiency working with data analytics distributed workloads (SQL, Spark, python) is a plus

As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:

• Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
• Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
• Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
• Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
• Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
• Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
• Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Employee discounts and perks program

Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.