It is impossible to think a modern Defence organization without ground vehicles. Wide range of vehicles from complex logistics support to the autonomous fighting vehicles are involved in today’s national Defence force. The roles of department of Motor Vehicle Engineering undergraduate programs at Defence University, College of Engineering is to provide broad based undergraduate and postgraduate level educational trainings, conducting researches and community services in the fields of Automotive and Military vehicle Engineering.

Keeping in view of the requirements of Ethiopian Defence, Mechanical Power Engineering department was introduced with Aviation and Auto/Tank Technology programs, since the establishment of the collage (1997).   During 2003 the Aviation Technology program has been separated as a department and the Auto/Tank program clubbed with the newly introduced two programs: Armament Maintenance and Armament Technology under a department of Armament and Auto/Tank Technology. The Auto/Tank program had been run to produce a graduate at advance diploma and degree level. The advance diploma program was phased out in 2006. The department of Motor Vehicle Engineering has been organized as stand-alone department since 2009 after in-depth curriculum and structural revision at collage level.  Following this, the first departmental post graduate program has been launched in 2013.