Kevin Kiel
About Kevin Kiel
Kevin Kiel is the Lead Engineer for Chassis Design at Nikola Motor Company, with extensive experience at Toyota in various engineering roles.
Current Role at Nikola Motor Company
Kevin Kiel is currently employed as the Lead Engineer Chassis Design at Nikola Motor Company. He has been working there since 2021 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona. In this position, Kevin focuses on system target setting, verification and validation, and subjective-objective correlation in chassis design. His role involves optimizing vehicular systems to ensure high performance and efficiency.
Previous Experience at Toyota North America
Before joining Nikola Motor Company, Kevin Kiel worked at Toyota North America for several years in multiple roles. From 2017 to 2021, he served as a Principal Engineer in vehicle evaluation in Wittmann, Arizona. Prior to this, from 2007 to 2015, he was also a Principal Engineer specializing in vehicle evaluation at the same location. From 2003 to 2007, Kevin was positioned in Ann Arbor, Michigan, focusing on chassis design as a Principal Engineer. Additionally, he gained experience as a Senior Engineer in chassis design in both Wittmann and Ann Arbor, and began his career with Toyota North America as a Mechanical Engineer from 1996 to 1998.
Toyota Motor Corporation Tenure
Kevin Kiel also has extensive experience working with Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. He worked as a Principal Engineer in automotive platform development in Fuji, Shizuoka from 2015 to 2017. Before that, he held roles as a Senior Engineer in chassis design from 2000 to 2003 and from 1999 to 2000 in Aichi. His tenure at Toyota Motor Corporation provided him with valuable expertise in advanced automotive engineering and chassis design.
Educational Background
Kevin Kiel studied Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree. His academic journey at Purdue lasted from 1991 to 1995. During his time at university, he gained foundational knowledge and skills that have been critical to his career in automotive engineering.
Focus Areas and Specializations
Kevin Kiel focuses on system target setting, verification and validation, and subjective-objective correlation within chassis design. He is specialized in root cause analysis aimed at optimizing vehicular systems. His expertise lies in ensuring that vehicle systems are designed and tested to meet high performance standards. He believes strongly in the role of engineering in advancing and harmonizing human interaction with the world.