Engineering Excellence in Electric Vehicle Powertrain Systems: A Conversation with Disha Raheja

The electric vehicle revolution has created unprecedented demand for engineers who can ensure that advanced powertrain systems perform reliably from prototype through production. As automotive manufacturers race to deliver high-performance, safe, and efficient electric powertrains, the industry needs technical specialists who possess both deep theoretical knowledge and comprehensive hands-on expertise in systems validation, integration, and rigorous testing. These engineers must navigate complex challenges spanning motor control validation, safety compliance, electromagnetic compatibility, and production readiness while maintaining the relentless focus on quality that defines modern EV development.

Disha Raheja has emerged as a distinguished motor systems engineer with a unique combination of academic excellence and practical expertise in electric vehicle powertrain validation and testing. A USC Viterbi graduate with specialized training in dynamics and control, Disha has dedicated her career to ensuring the production readiness, performance, and safety of cutting-edge EV powertrains. Her ability to bridge sophisticated control theory with practical implementation, coupled with comprehensive experience in systems validation and rigorous testing across the full development lifecycle, positions her at the forefront of the electric mobility transformation.

Validating Motor Control Systems and Optimizing Powertrain Performance

The heart of any electric vehicle lies in its motor control system, where theoretical algorithms must be validated to deliver precise, efficient, and responsive real-world performance. Disha's expertise in validating Field Oriented Control (FOC) for Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motors demonstrates the sophisticated engineering required to ensure maximum performance from modern electric powertrains.

"Validating control systems for electric vehicles requires equal parts theoretical understanding and hands-on problem-solving," reflects Disha, drawing from her experience testing and optimizing powertrain systems. "You're constantly verifying that systems meet competing demands: maximizing efficiency while delivering the torque response riders expect, all while ensuring safety and reliability under extreme operating conditions."

Her work leveraging Altair FluxMotor simulations to validate motor control algorithms, combined with meticulous dynamometer testing and control loop tuning, has resulted in measurable performance improvements—including boosting peak power sustainability by up to 15% on critical vehicle projects. These gains, achieved through systematic validation and iterative refinement, directly translate to enhanced vehicle performance and rider experience.

Disha's technical foundation spans advanced control methodologies, including PID, Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR), Quadratic Programming (QP), and Model Predictive Control (MPC). This comprehensive theoretical toolkit enables her to effectively validate and optimize implementations across diverse applications, whether verifying energy efficiency targets, confirming performance specifications, or ensuring smooth torque delivery across the entire operating envelope.

Safety-Critical Systems Validation and Functional Compliance

In the automotive industry, safety isn't just a priority—it's an absolute requirement. Disha's experience validating safety-critical control features, including torque security and fault diagnostics, demonstrates her understanding of the rigorous standards that govern modern vehicle development.

Her work translating ISO 26262 Functional Safety Goals into actionable firmware requirements exemplifies the critical bridge between high-level safety objectives and concrete validation criteria. This process requires not only technical expertise but also systematic thinking and attention to detail, ensuring that every safety requirement is properly validated, tested, and verified.

"Safety-critical systems demand a different mindset," notes Disha. "Every control parameter, every diagnostic check, every failure mode must be thoroughly validated. You're not just verifying systems work under normal conditions—you're confirming they fail safely and predictably under any conceivable circumstance."

Her contributions to Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) and Design Verification Plan and Report (DVP&R) processes demonstrate a comprehensive approach to quality and reliability. By identifying critical system failure modes and executing targeted validation plans, she ensures that potential issues are caught and addressed long before vehicles reach customers.

Systems Integration, Testing, and Production Readiness

Bringing electric vehicles from prototype to production requires navigating countless integration challenges and validation hurdles. Disha's expertise in systems validation methodologies—spanning Model-in-the-Loop (MiL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL), and comprehensive dynamometer testing—ensures that systems perform reliably throughout the development lifecycle.

Her work developing standardized diagnostic frameworks using Unified Diagnostics Services (UDS) over CAN demonstrates the attention to detail required for production-ready systems. These diagnostic capabilities, which she authored technical specifications for, are essential for manufacturing quality control, field service, and ongoing fleet management.

As part of the EMC testing team, Disha contributed to powertrain validation efforts supporting global certification requirements. Her involvement in resolving compliance issues helped ensure production timelines remained on track—a critical aspect of bringing vehicles to market successfully.

The dynamometer has become a second home in Disha's validation work. Through countless hours of testing, she has resolved critical firmware bugs and fine-tuned control parameters, ensuring that theoretical control strategies deliver the precise, reliable performance required in production vehicles. This hands-on testing expertise, combined with her ability to interpret data and diagnose issues quickly, enables rapid iteration and problem resolution.

Problem-Solving and Continuous Improvement

The transition from development to production inevitably reveals unexpected challenges. Disha's experience partnering with quality control teams for root cause analysis using systematic methodologies like Fishbone diagrams has led to the identification and resolution of more than three complex field issues, directly enhancing the reliability of in-market vehicle fleets.

This commitment to continuous improvement extends beyond troubleshooting to proactive optimization. Whether calibrating 3D printer profiles to boost success rates by 30% or redesigning mechanical systems to reduce production costs by 20%, Disha consistently demonstrates the ability to identify opportunities for enhancement and execute effective solutions.

Her diverse background—spanning Formula SAE electric racing, where she led CAN communication integration, hybrid system validation at Honda Performance Development, and mechanical design in the 3D printing industry—provides a uniquely broad perspective on engineering challenges. This cross-domain experience enables her to approach validation and testing problems creatively and draw insights from multiple disciplines.

At USC's Formula SAE Electric Racing Team, Disha led a team of five to design and integrate CAN Communication Control for a Formula-style EV, re-architecting the CAN bus and harnessing between ECUs to resolve critical data integrity issues and ensure bus reliability. This hands-on experience with vehicle integration challenges prepared her well for the complex validation work required in production environments.

Looking Forward: The Future of Electric Mobility

As electric vehicles continue to evolve, the demand for engineers who can validate performance, ensure safety, and navigate the complexities of production readiness will only intensify. Disha's comprehensive skill set, spanning control theory understanding, systems validation, safety compliance testing, and extensive hands-on dynamometer and EMC testing experience, positions her to drive continued quality and reliability improvements in this rapidly advancing field.

The future of electric mobility depends on engineers who can master both the theoretical foundations and practical validation realities of modern powertrain development—exactly the combination that defines Disha Raheja's approach to motor systems engineering.

About Disha Raheja

Disha Raheja is a Motor Systems Engineer specializing in the validation and testing of electric vehicle powertrains. She holds a Master of Science in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Dynamics and Control from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University. Her expertise spans advanced control theory, systems validation, safety-critical firmware testing, and comprehensive validation methodologies. Disha's technical proficiency includes MATLAB, Simulink, dSPACE, Altair FluxMotor, and extensive hands-on experience with motor dynamometers, EMC testing equipment, and CAN communication protocols, including CANopen, Vector tools, and Unified Diagnostics Services (UDS).