Program Overview

---

The University of Surrey’s

Centre for Automotive Engineering

(CAE) provides world-class technical research for vehicle analysis. This includes all electric and hybrid powertrains, autonomous vehicles, vehicle dynamics simulation, tyre dynamics simulation, design and simulation of vehicle subsystems (brakes, steering, suspension, chassis control systems design), design of experimental test benches, lightweight chassis design and vehicle aerodynamics.

A PhD in automotive engineering enables you to employ cutting-edge science to make new discoveries. Our excellent laboratories and facilities are nationally and internationally recognised, and a stage for world-class research. We provide a multidisciplinary environment where doctoral students from different disciplines can meet and work together on applied engineering research topics with direct impacts on society.

Our researchers also regularly collaborate with key players in industry, including Rolls-Royce, Dstl and Jaguar Land Rover. We are also host to the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Thermo-Fluid Systems and the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Micro- and NanoMaterials and Technologies.

The University of Surrey ranked 15th in the UK for research power for engineering by the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. We are now also ranked in the top 20 in the UK for the overall quality of research outputs – research papers and other published works.