📍
Palo Alto, CA

Internship, Motor Controls Engineer, Vehicle Controls (Winter/Spring 2026)

Internship
Technology & Digital
Engineering
Posted:
December 29, 2025

Tesla

Electric vehicles and clean-energy company
67.9
Palpable Score
Apply >view company >

This position is expected to start around January 2026 and continue through the Winter/Spring term (approximately April 2026) or into Summer 2026 if available and there is an opportunity to do so. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not 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.  to experience life at Tesla by giving them ownership over projects that are critical to their team’s success.

About the Team

As an Intern on the Motor Controls team, you will model, design, implement, test and benchmark the motor controls of current and future Tesla traction motor drives and low voltage drives. You'll have the opportunity to develop motor control algorithms that will enhance the performance of impactful technologies, such as traction machines, steer-by-wire systems, and Optimus, driving advancements in efficiency and innovation.

What You’ll Do

What You’ll Bring

About the company

Tesla

Company overview
Tesla builds electric vehicles and sells related software and services, including driver-assistance features and connected-car updates. Tesla also operates an energy business selling battery storage products and solar, and runs a large charging network. Tesla sells to consumers and businesses directly, with a growing footprint of service, delivery, and retail locations. Tesla’s operations span engineering, manufacturing, and field service at scale.

Locations and presence

Tesla’s corporate headquarters is in Austin, Texas, at Gigafactory Texas, and Tesla also lists an engineering headquarters in Palo Alto, California. Tesla has major manufacturing and operational sites across the US and internationally, alongside a wide network of service centers and delivery locations.

Palpable Score

67.9
/ 100
Tesla offers strong early-career access through high-volume internships and a clear non-degree pathway into technician roles via Tesla START, but the candidate experience can be unpredictable because the company openly warns that not every applicant will be contacted. Pay transparency is a bright spot because many Tesla postings include expected compensation ranges and stock language, while 2024 restructuring and layoffs raise stability questions for new hires in some orgs. Public outcomes data for interns and new grads, like conversion rates and early retention, is still mostly missing, which caps the score.
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