Automotive Engineer

The automotive industry is a mixture of engineers with a variety of specialisms, each working in their own area. But there also has to be engineers who look at the entire project, and understand the vehicle from top to bottom.

They will test the whole car rather than just assemblies such as the transmission, and work to understand the logic of developing the vehicle in a certain way, so they can communicate that information to the public.

Petra Kim-Reschke is one of those engineers. She has been Audi’s head of technical exhibits since July, having previously headed dual-clutch transmission testing. 

It’s a big move from developing and testing individual components to working on preparing Audi’s cars for all to see. Part of her role is to organise technical presentations and events.

“After 14 years working on engine and transmission development, it was about time to switch to the total vehicle. And to learn about our cars from the perspective of our customer is a great challenge,” Kim-Reschke says.

She needs to know the OEM’s range inside out and is quickly getting herself up to full speed. “I try to drive two or three cars a day to get a feeling for each model.” She travels home every evening in a test car to continue her education.

Kim-Reschke’s office is above one of the workshops at Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. She is often elsewhere, however, as her job requires a huge amount of travel across Europe, preparing for vehicle launches. “It’s an interesting position because I’m in touch with all the technical people involved with the various vehicles’ development programmes,” she says.

Since moving from transmission testing, she has worked on the long-wheelbase A8 limousine and the A7 coupe, and will soon be focusing on the A6 sedan. Cars come to her department a year before they’re ready for series production. And while Kim-Reschke may be less hands on with development work now, she still sees her role as important: “Development never ends, we start the preparation of new models at the pre-series stage, and some of the cars reach 100,000km.”

Every vehicle has a different mission and needs to be treated individually. The A8 is a prime example. “On such a complex car, we need to test the vehicle as a whole – its acoustics and how it handles on roads in the mountains, for example,” she says. 

It’s a car developed for vastly different markets, from Europe to America to China. And the Chinese market is vital. “It’s second only to Germany,” says Kim-Reschke. “The long-wheelbase versions are very popular there. We’ve developed long versions of the A4 and A6 specifically for China.”

Audi has a small development facility there which it uses during the pre-phase development, when it is deciding what vehicles to offer in the market. And that is constantly changing. The W12 engine is still a popular choice in the A8 but that could change as hybrid technology becomes more widespread. “We have plans for a hybrid A8 in 2011,” says Kim-Reschke. 

But what about smaller engines without the hybrid system? “We have studies that suggest a four-cylinder engine in an A8, and it’s an interesting combination and quite demanding to perfect, but customer acceptance is quite limited,” she says.

Gone are her days of testing transmissions for vehicles such as the Q5 SUV – Kim-Reschke is now focused on understanding the logic behind the whole vehicle’s development. But that doesn’t mean her approach has changed – she is still meticulous about detail. “We try to reach our technical goals in co-operation with our suppliers and with other departments,” she says. 

“More often than not the problem isn’t finding a technical solution to a problem, it’s focusing on the right testing methods, having the parts we need, and working together with other departments.”

Career moves

Education: Aachen University, mechanical engineering
1996: Daewoo Motor Engineering, Hallbergmoos
1998: Technical development department of Audi AG, Ingolstadt
1998: Project engineer for V6 gasoline engines
2003: Assistant to Audi head of engine and transmission development
2005: Head of mechanical testing of dual-clutch transmissions
2010: Head of technical exhibits