Nick Abels

Nick Abels serves as the Manager of the Vehicle Safety Test Team at Hyundai Kia America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) since September 2015, where responsibilities include managing the full-vehicle crashworthiness and safety component test facility. Nick designed Hyundai's first North American crash test facility and leads a team performing various safety tests, elevating the company's safety leadership through innovative field case replication tests. Prior experience includes roles as a Senior Safety & Crashworthiness Engineer and Project Engineer at MGA Research Co., focusing on automotive occupant protection. Nick's career began at Geek Squad, where customer solutions were prioritized, and included an internship focused on robotics and continuous improvement at Peddinghaus Corporation. Nick holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.