[1] Hello students, Welcome to the first in a series of video lectures on Fundamentals of Automotive

Engineering. [2] This module is a flipped classroom module, meaning that you don’t come to NUS to
attend lectures but instead watch my lectures on videos online. It is open to B Tech students who are in
Year 3 and 4. From time to time, I will conduct tutorials in class in case you have any queries, and of
course you are free to e mail me to ask whatever questions you like concerning the course content. The
assessment consists of three CA tests, each of which consists of several Multiple-choice questions (ie.
MCQs), and they are all closed-book. The questions will be based on fundamental principles and will not
involve detailed calculations, so you don’t need to bring a calculator. There is no final exam for this
module. The last CA test should be no later than week 12. The detailed schedule will be told to you
separately.
[3] Alright, let us begin with the Syllabus that I shall be covering. Apart from this general introduction, I
intend to teach the whole vehicle, covering the Engine, Transmission, Chassis, Vehicle dynamics, and
Aerodynamics.
[4] In any automotive engineering company, they divide the Automobile into two main departments,
namely the Chassis and the Powertrain. Under the Chassis department, you will find the car chassis per
se, as well as the suspension, brakes, steering, in fact all the structures that do not generate power to move
the vehicle. The Powertrain department, however, consists of the Engine and the Transmission, the latter
sometimes known as the Drivetrain.
[5] The word “Automotive” gives a hint as to its meaning: “Auto” meaning self, and “Motive” meaning
moving. So “Automotive” simply means self-propelling or self-moving. No wonder in Japanese, a car is
translated as “jido sha” (自动车), self-moving car.
Generally by a car or vehicle, we imply something that is used for transporting either passengers or
goods. Therefore, a lawn mower does not qualify as Automotive or vehicle. Automotive vehicles come in
many shapes and sizes, including motorcycles like scooters and scramblers, sedan cars (also known as
saloon cars) which have 4 doors, coupes with just 2 doors, convertibles (with a roof that can be opened),
trucks, pick-ups, jeeps, military tanks, armoured personnel carriers, Formula race cars, Red Rhino fire
engines, etc. Under this definition, then, the law should classify e-scooters under Automotive vehicles.