Gary Horvat

Biography

    Proterra CTO Gary Horvat has over 35 years of experience in the automotive industry, with an educational background in both industrial and manufacturing engineering, including a Ph.D. in industrial engineering. Gary started at Eaton Corporation out of college and was at General Motors for the majority of his career, mostly in powertrain. At GM, Gary started as a valvetrain design engineer on V6 engines, winning the Popular Science “Best of What’s New” Award for his assembled camshaft design. He was responsible for the engine controls on the third-generation small block V8 and as assistant chief engineer, launched the 3900 V6 Engine, winning the Popular Mechanics “Breakthrough” Award. As chief engineer for transmission and hybrid controls, Gary had his first experience working on electric vehicles with the GM two-mode hybrid and Chevy Volt. Gary’s last position at GM was as executive director of engineering operations, managing powertrain global development, testing and validation facilities. After GM, Gary worked at Fisker Automotive as vice president of product development on the Fisker Karma extended range electric vehicle. His most recent position was as VP of powertrain at DENSO International. Gary enjoys driving engineering for companies and products that make a difference and leave a long-term impact on society.

Research Interest

 Energy Storage, Public Transportation, Renewable Energy, Battery