Transportation is important for our daily lives in Nigeria. However, current alternatives like gasoline-powered cars have drawbacks like pollution, high costs, and safety risks. There is a huge opportunity to transform the system and improve how we get around through innovative automotive engineering.
Automotive engineers are equipped to design and build the next generation of affordable, sustainable, and comfortable vehicles for Nigerians. Imagine commuting to work on a zero-emissions electric bus rather than sitting in suffocating traffic. Or an electric car that can be charged overnight at home for a fraction of the cost of gasoline.Â
Domestic automotive innovation has the potential to revolutionize transportation and make travel more accessible, and we will be shedding more light on it in this article; we will talk about how automotive engineering can significantly change the Nigerian transport system.
Table of Contents
What is Automotive Engineering?
Automotive Engineering is a subdiscipline of vehicle engineering that focuses on designing and developing new automobiles. This engineering field applies mathematics using computer-aided technology to manufacture and test new vehicles. It’s also used to improve designs for various structures, transmissions, engines, and various parts of automobiles.
Automotive engineering also allows the shift from one transport means to another. This branch of engineering begins from the conception stage and ends at the production stage. These stages consist of research, design, development, and testing. Automotive engineering can also be referred to as automobile engineering. Although, there may be a slight difference between the two.
Difference between automobile engineering and automotive engineering
Automobile engineering involves the design and manufacture of 4-wheeled vehicles, while Automotive engineering involves all the components of vehicles, which could be aircraft or commercial vehicles.
Invention of Electric Cars in Nigeria
Electric cars are cars that use electricity as fuel instead of petrol. This invention is needed in Nigeria because of the scarcity of petrol and the continuous increase in its price. There are different breeds of electric cars in Nigeria, such as the Hyundai Kona, Honda, BMW i3, Chevrolet Volt, Kia Soul, and Tesla, to mention just a few. These cars vary based on the distance they can travel after charging, battery, acceleration time, and price.
Tesla models, for example, are models that Tesla Inc. manufactures, and of all the models, only the unique breed, which is the Tesla S model, has been spotted in Nigeria.Â
Read Also: 10 Best Electric Cars to Buy in Nigeria
Advantages and disadvantages of using electric cars in Nigeria
The traditional combustion engines used as means of transport are becoming outdated as they pose threats to our health, particularly as Nigerians, and deprive us of our hard-earned money spent on fuel.
You will agree with me that the cost of running electric vehicles in Nigeria is definitely cheaper than fueling the vehicle with petrol. Electric cars provide very quiet driving with reduced engine operation time. It also eradicates the greenhouse effect caused by most vehicles in Nigeria.Â
It should be noted that the silence of electric vehicles can be a disadvantage. Also, the use of electric vehicles might result in a rise in the cost of electricity. These vehicles have limited driving range and speed, unlike the vehicles with combustion engines.
Transportation Shifts in Nigeria
Automotive engineering is crucial in transportation as it helps design and manufacture vehicles to suit transportation and ensure safety.
Transportation shifts refer to the change in the modes or means of transport due to the market value of one over the other. The market value could be time, flexibility, cost, convenience, availability, safety, distance, or capacity. As transportation is a means of connecting physically with people, this sector needs to be upgraded to be more efficient, flexible, and accessible as the economy grows wider.
Transportation has been a major contributor to global warming, and there’s a need for its drastic reduction. The shift from the combustion of automotive engines to electric vehicles will not only help our lifestyle but also help people adapt to this shift as days go by. This will help in moving Nigeria’s economy gradually rather than having a rapid change, which could have a negative effect.
In achieving transportation shifts, automotive engineers should be able to:
- Design and manufacture safe and flexible electric vehicles
- Shift from private vehicles to public vehicles
- Manufacture of carbon-free vehicles
- Limit the manufacture of aircraft
In order to ensure the shift in transportation in Nigeria, there should be a drastic reduction in logistic activities across the country as it has been realized that logistic companies, with their increased activities, are part of the contributors to the carbon footprint in Nigeria.
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Automotive Engineering as a Course in Nigeria
Automotive engineering is a course offered as a discipline in Nigerian institutions like the University of Ibadan, the University of Nigeria, Covenant University, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. It could be offered as a subdiscipline of mechanical engineering in others. So, as someone who is interested in automobile design and manufacturing, you can either study automotive engineering or mechanical engineering at any of the institutions in Nigeria.
In gaining admission into any institution in Nigeria, the required subjects are English, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. This course is a five-year course in which you will be required to do a year of Industrial Training (IT) with automotive companies to gain hands-on experience in the field.Â
At the end of your five years in school, you will be awarded a Bachelor’s degree in engineering (B Eng) and be employed as an entry-level engineer in the field of automotive engineering, where you get to learn from experts and get promoted to a junior engineer.Â
Getting a promotion in this field might require taking some exams or professional courses. Professional courses such as getting a Master’s degree in automotive engineering will allow you to stand out and make acquiring your license as an engineer easy.
Read Also: Find out the many career pathways in engineering
Salary of Automotive Engineers in Nigeria
The salary of automotive engineers depends on the place of work, employer, and work experience. As discussed above, your experience in the field will determine the amount you are paid. However, the Private sector is known to pay more than the government sector, but only in some cases. The salary range for automotive engineering graduates in Nigeria is between 100,000 naira to 1,000,000 naira per month.
Where Do Automotive Engineers Work?
In Nigeria, you can work in various sectors as long as you have the experience needed. You can work in manufacturing companies, research institutes, banks, health care institutions, cars and motorcycle assemblies, airports, airlines, engineering companies, civil engineering companies, academic institutions, and so on.
What are The Duties of Automotive Engineers?
Automotive Engineers are saddled with the responsibility of working with other engineers, such as mechanical engineers, to design, develop, and test different parts of vehicles. They come up with aesthetically appealing designs and upgrade existing vehicle components.
Among the responsibilities of these engineers are:
- Carrying out market research
- Designing automobile prototypes
- Testing and iterating on the prototype
- Manufacturing, distributing, and marketing vehicles.
- Keeping track of after-sale maintenance
- Ensuring vehicle safety
- Planning and negotiating project budget
- Estimating market costs and prices
- Supervising junior staffs
Conclusion
Automotive engineering in Nigeria shows potential as it addresses transportation issues. Electric automobiles like Tesla’s models provide a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles.
The Government has also built electric vehicle charging stations in Lagos, Sokoto, and Nsukka. However, restrictions in driving range and potential increases in power costs must be addressed before they can completely realize their potential. Transitioning to electric vehicles has the potential to cut pollution while also improving Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure drastically.Â
Automotive engineering in Nigeria is positioned to define a cleaner, more efficient future for transportation, with innovation and sustainability at its center.
After all is said and done, what is your take on Automotive engineering? Is it a good idea, or is it just too early an idea? We would love to hear your views on this in the comment section and on our Whatsapp community with other Tech enthusiasts.
About Author
- Barakat is a professional content writer with competence in academic writing, ebooks, and blog posts. To help you convey your ideas to your audience, she provides articles written in the most appropriate style and tone.
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