CARS - Affiliates News
Nissan Leaf on Campus and in Class - Presentation and Video Now Available
"We are not here to say that the internal combustion engine is disappearing...but we are at a tipping point now where the electrification of transportation is a real reality." This was the opening statement by Mark Perry, Director of Product Planning at Nissan North America, for his talk on "The First Electric Vehicle for the Mass Market". About 90 students, faculty, affiliates attended the lecture on Dec 2, which was also the last talk for the year in ME302 / CS532 "The Future of the Automobile".
The speaker gave a broad overview and some very specific insights to technology and market strategy of the Nissan Leaf, which will be launched in Japan and the US in late 2010. The presentation focused on what engineering, manufacturing, and owning an electrical vehicle means and to what extent a shift in thinking is required. It was explained that the vehicle's 100 mls range would cover about 95% of the use cases and that the operation of the vehicle might actually be simplified over an automobile with internal combustion engine. It was also noted that electric vehicles could create new business opportunities for sectors that have historically not been connected with the automobile.
The lecture gave much insight into the Li-Ion battery technology and also described the entire engineering / lifecycle of the vehicle covering design, testing, manufacturing, sale, service, and recycling. The speaker especially explained the considerations that went into the design of the vehicle to address consumers' concerns regarding limited range and impractical operation. The company plans to produce 150,000 Leafs per year in its Tennessee plant and identified initial launch markets throughout the United States where the vehicle will be sold as of December 2010.
The talk generated many questions that were discussed in great detail inside and outside the classroom where the 2010 Nissan Leaf was on display.
See a video recording from the lecture here.
Download the presentation here.
For further information contact Sven Beiker (beiker@stanford.edu).
December 4, 2009 - 3:00PM