ECE Special Seminar: “Autonomous Electric Vehicles – Data Centers on the Wheel”
Presented by: Kaushik Rajashekara, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor @ University of Houston
Description: “Autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) are at the forefront of modern transportation, merging automation with sustainability to enhance efficiency and safety while reducing environmental impact. However, these vehicles face significant challenges in balancing the energy demands of autonomous compute systems with propulsion efficiency and vehicle range. The sensors, LiDAR, cameras, and AI inference hardware required for Level 4 autonomy draw significant continuous compute power — entirely separate from propulsion. This power is comparable to a server-class GPU — making each AEV, in effect, a data center on wheels. This presentation explores that compute energy load, examines how it scales across projected global AV fleets, and compares it with the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions of global data centers. The presentation concludes with current challenges and future trends in the key enabling technologies — next-generation batteries, wide-bandgap power electronics, high-efficiency electric machines, and can scale without proportionally scaling its energy and emissions footprint.”
Bio: Kaushik Rajashekara (Fellow, IEEE) received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. He held various lead technical and managerial positions at Delphi/General Motors (1989–2006), serving as Technical Fellow and Chief Scientist for propulsion and power electronics systems for electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles.From 2006 to 2012, he was Chief Technologist and Rolls-Royce Fellow for electric systems for electric and hybrid electric aircraft at Rolls-RoyceCorporation. From 2012 to 2016, he was a Distinguished Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is currently the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor at the University of Houston.
He has authored over 300 papers and one book, holds 37 U.S. and 15 foreign patents, and has delivered over 250 invited presentations worldwide. His honors include the Global Energy Prize, the IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies, and the IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, aFellow of the European Academy of Sciences, and an International Fellow of the Indian, Chinese, Canadian, and Japanese Academies of Engineering. His research interests include power conversion, transportation electrification, renewable energy, offshore systems, and microgrid systems.
Hosted by: Professor Leila Parsa, Electrical & Engineering Department
When: Friday, September 25, 2026 @ 10:30 AM PST
Location: E2-506