Frederik Tjonneland
About Frederik Tjonneland
Frederik Tjonneland is the Lead Engineer, Chassis at Nikola Motor Company, with extensive experience in mechanical design and engineering roles in the automotive industry.
Company
Frederik Tjonneland is currently working at Nikola Motor Company as Lead Engineer, Chassis, since 2021. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, he has been with the company in various roles since 2020. His prior roles at Nikola include Mechanical Design Engineer, Chassis. He oversees the design and development of safety-critical structural components, contributing significantly to the successful launch of the Nikola Tre BEV Class 8 electric semi-truck.
Title
Frederik Tjonneland holds the title of Lead Engineer, Chassis, at Nikola Motor Company. In this role, he manages the Bill of Materials for 782 unique parts and coordinates changes between engineering teams. His responsibilities include designing rear inverter brackets and ensuring they meet specific safety, strength, and modal frequency requirements.
Education and Expertise
Frederik Tjonneland earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park, where he studied from 2010 to 2015. His educational background has provided him with strong expertise in designing, analyzing, and prototyping vehicle components. He has a particular focus on integrating advanced technologies such as additive manufacturing and autonomous driving.
Background
Frederik's professional journey includes various engineering roles. Prior to his current position at Nikola Motor Company, he served as Chief Engineer at Local Motors from 2019 to 2020 and Design Engineer from 2015 to 2019. His earlier experience includes leading the Composites Team at University of Maryland Terps Racing and a brief stint as a Sales Associate at Vector Marketing. His diverse background supports his expertise in vehicle component design and prototype development.
Achievements
During his career, Frederik Tjonneland has achieved several notable accomplishments. He facilitated the launch of the Nikola Tre BEV Class 8 electric semi-truck by finalizing the design of safety-critical structural components. He also managed a complex Bill of Materials and coordinated significant changes between Nikola and IVECO Engineering teams, impacting 385 unique parts and assemblies. His work has set a standard for change management documentation within the Nikola engineering organization.