The future starts here
Joshua de Wit, 2016 Autocar Courland Next Generation Award winner, has completed his first work placement. Doug Revolta catches up with him
The Autocar Courland Next Generation Award was created in 2009 to find and nurture bright new talent in the automotive industry.
Many previous winners of the award have gone on to work for major manufacturers, and Joshua de Wit is hoping to follow in their footsteps.
The 22-year old won last year’s award with a cutting-edge idea focusing on battery technology.
“It’s a carbon-based battery and its primary objective is a push towards sustainability,” says Joshua. “The process of recycling lithium ion batteries is expensive, so my idea was created to address the shortcomings of current batteries, including weight and charging time.”
Joshua’s idea won over the judging panel and he was awarded £9000 and six months of work experience at several leading car companies: Jaguar Land Rover, Mclaren, Peugeot, Nissan, Honda and Toyota.
He’s now at the end of his first placement with JLR, and brimming with confidence after a successful month. “I wasn’t nervous before I started at JLR,” he says. “I was looking forward to it more than anything, and my objective was to come here and learn. I’ve learnt big time. Working with different teams and people, and learning different processes, has been fantastic.”
Joshua finished his second year of a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Sussex in summer 2016 and then took a year out to work in industry. He’s already spent six months working with Yasa Motors, a British manufacturer of electric motors and generators.
During his first week at JLR, Joshua worked in the ‘human machine interface’ department looking at software platforms, artificial intelligence, smartphone app development and how motorists interact with their vehicles. After that, he was placed in a research role in the energy storage department focusing on battery technology – an area he relished working in.
“I could fully immerse myself,” he says. “Battery-powered cars are not a trend that’s not going to die any time soon. Within 10 years sales [of electric vehicles] will grow massively and they’ll become more important because of emissions regulations.
“There’s a huge focus around technology in the industry and lots of efforts being made to develop it. JLR is not resting on its laurels – it’s looking far ahead in the future with its development. It’s been exciting to be a part of that.”
With a keen interest in electric cars, Joshua joined JLR at a pivotal time. The electric I-pace crossover, Jaguar’s first fully electric vehicle, is under development and he was fortunate enough to learn more about the team behind it.
“The Jaguar I-pace has so much potential,” he says. “I was surprised
because the team behind the car is actually quite small. To make that car is a marvel – it’s inspiring.”
During a busy programme with JLR, Joshua also managed to squeeze in some time on the test track to learn the processes behind car development. He was able to observe how vehicles such as the Range Rover and Jaguar F-pace undergo testing both on and off-road.
His energetic approach and enthusiasm, particularly for battery technology, hugely impressed the JLR team and he made a big impact in a short space of time.
José Lopes, head of technical excellence at JLR, is a member of the judging panel for the Autocar Courland Next Generation Award and believes it can play a crucial role for the future of the industry.
“There are not enough people motivated to get into engineering, which is why we’re supporting the programme,” he says. “It’s really important, and Joshua is a highquality, enthusiastic individual. He’s exactly what the company needs.”
Joshua’s made a strong impression on his mentor, Dr. Alex Mouzakitis, JLR’S head of electrical, electronics and software engineering research and technology, who worked closely with him throughout the placement.
“Whatever tasks he was set, he’s taken them beyond expectations,” says Alex. “We learn from people like him because they come with a fresh pair of eyes. Sometimes they ask what might seem like an obvious question but that is what challenges the status quo.
“Joshua was able to give feedback on a project and, based on what he said, we had another review of it. We learnt we have to spend an additional two months on developing that human-machine interface. That feedback is worth its weight in gold.”