Mechanical Engineer Intern

Job Description

Consider before submitting an application: 

This position is expected to start around January 2027 and continue through the entire Spring term (i.e. through May 2027) or into Summer 2027 if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time and on-site, for most internships. International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.

International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.

The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success. 

Locations: Palo Alto, CA; Fremont, CA; Austin, TX; Robstown, TX; Reno, NV; Toronto, ON

About the Team 

Tesla is looking to hire a Mechanical Design Intern to design and deploy specialized development equipment for our cutting-edge vehicle battery products. This position will help drive technological advancement in this area while working closely with cross-functional teams. Battery development is at the heart of our company, and this is an exciting opportunity to work directly on the central challenges with electric vehicles - battery cost and performance. Tesla is a demanding and fast-paced environment where you will work with a highly motivated team on extremely challenging projects.

Job Responsibilities

Qualified applicants may be reviewed by one or more of the following teams:

Automation Controls Engineering Internship

• In this role, you will be responsible for designing and laying out industrial electrical control panels that comply with NFPA79, NEC, and UL508A standards, as well as creating detailed electrical schematics. You will also develop and debug PLC code, with a focus on creating organized, structured, and maintainable code that is reusable. Additionally, you will implement control-reliable safety systems in adherence to ANSI/RIA15.06 and OSHA standards, and design aesthetically pleasing HMI screens. Finally, you will manage and oversee small machine projects, guiding them from start to finish.

Manufacturing Equipment Engineering Internship

• The Cell Manufacturing Engineering team is at the frontier of the company, responsible for implementing and scaling Tesla’s ability to manufacture 4680 form factor battery cells. High level tasks of the team include developing and testing processes, designing equipment, installing, and ramping new production lines, and troubleshooting manufacturing issues that affect production and quality targets. This specific role will be for an intern in the team, who will work across subset of the above tasks while being guided by his mentor. Seeking candidates with specific experience in PLC programming and knowledge of web handling processes.

Mechanical Engineering Internship

• Work on cross functional teams with PM, Controls, manufacturing, and technicians to support and troubleshoot new and existing mechanical designs. Prepare 3D CAD models, detailed drawings, mechanical BOMs, safety documentation and various parts lists for use by other teams. Support mechanical builds, proof of principle assemblies and production machinery. Tesla is accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy. We design, manufacture, sell and service the world's best solar technology, energy storage systems, and electric vehicles, providing customers the opportunity to generate, store and consume energy entirely sustainably.

• Looking for a Mechanical Engineering Intern with experience in a manufacturing environment, practical tool skills, and 3D design experience to support Electrode Manufacturing Engineering, and Electrode Mass Production Lines design, installation and commissioning. 

Mixing Mechanical Design Engineer Internship

• Be on the forefront of bringing dry battery electrode manufacturing technology and the 4680 battery cell to high volume production- making substantial contribution to the acceleration of sustainable energy.

Can Stamping - Mechanical Engineering Internship

• Tesla Can Stamping is a heavily automated high speed/high volume/high precision Can production line for the new 4680 Cells. The It is a fast-paced environment where a multi-disciplinary team is working on solving a variety of unique manufacturing challenges to increase the production throughput and yield. 

Supplier Industrialization Engineering Internship

• Tesla’s Supplier Industrialization team is responsible for critical component development and qualification activities at suppliers. The job involves communicating well with internal and external teams, traveling to suppliers in different regions, and on-the-spot critical decision making. This position will be responsible for sustaining and improving supplier product quality using collaborative efforts to accomplish this task. The goal: delivering on time quantities of high-quality component parts into Tesla’s production processes to enable extremely rapid development cycles and product launches. 

Mechanical Design Engineering Intern – In-House Cell Engineering

• As a Mechanical Design Engineering Intern, you will be collaborating with engineers of various disciplines (CAE, manufacturing/process, test, and other design teams) to develop Li–ion cell components and systems from concept through production launch and ramp. The candidate will be required to prepare 3D CAD models, own basic analyses (FEA, Excel, MATLAB, scripting), prepare detailed drawings, manage mechanical BOMs, develop/author technical specifications, and drive research and experiments to advance Tesla’s internal knowledge base of cell design principles, failure modes, and development opportunities. The ideal candidate is a driven engineer with a passion for hands–on engineering and a strong interest in learning from first principles.

Job Requirements

• Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• Proficient in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred, CATIA, AutoCAD, 3DX, SolidWorks), Python
• Strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills
• Machining & Fabrication Experience: machining, rolling, welding, additive manufacturing, molding, extrusions
• Proficiency in Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Experience in some of the following: Malab, Python, CFD Packages, Structural FEA packages, statistical analysis (JMP, Minitab)
• Demonstrated experience in electromechanical design and analysis of tooling, equipment, and automation
• Familiarity with international technical standards for machine design, equipment safety standards and practices (ANSI, NFPA, LOTO, OSHA)
• Basic knowledge of Lithium-ion battery cell and battery design
• Experience with test design and setup, data acquisition and analysis
• Strong technical communication skills