Growing the Grid – Evernote’s Workplace Charging to Support EV Car Perk

March – 15 – REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Imagine you can cut your commute time to work in half, increase your productivity at home and in your job, all with a car that is almost free to lease. This now is reality for employees at Evernote in Redwood City, Calif.
Evernote is a company focused on building apps that help people remember things; it is also a company that is intent on retaining the best and brightest employees.
People in California who drive electric vehicles, like the Nissan LEAF, qualify to drive in the HOV lane even when only one person is in the car. That can translate into a significantly faster commute. That is why Evernote CEO Phil Libin says he offered each of his employees a monthly $250 allowance to lease or buy any vehicle that qualifies them to get a California carpool lane sticker. If they get the Nissan LEAF their allowance completely covers the cost of the lease. Evernote negotiated a special deal with Nissan.
“The math really works out. We have a lot of very talented and very valuable people and they waste a lot of time in traffic. So if we can save them a half hour a day, and that is very easy to do, a lot of people save much more than that, very quickly that winds up adding up to a whole lot more than what we pay for the car so it just makes economic sense,” said Libin.
Evernote installed 10 Level 2 charging stations and one DC fast charger to accommodate their employees who want to plug-in at work. Today, more than 30 major companies in the U.S. have committed to installing EV charging stations in at least one of their locations. The deal is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge. High-tech companies like Google, FedEx, Dell and Facebook have signed on.
This is the second in a series of video reports under the heading of “Growing the Grid.” It examines what is happening today with the U.S. plug-in charging infrastructure that will lead to mass market acceptance of EV technology.

Nissan Motor Adds Lightness with Ultra High Tensile Steel

March 12 – Yokohama – Infiniti’s new Q50 isn’t just high performance. It’s less heavy metal.

A red center pillar made of Ultra High-Tensile Strength Steel

The stylish premium sedan, on sale later this year, is set to be the first model to use a new grade of steel developed by Nissan Motor Company and partner steelmakers that is stronger, lighter and easier to manufacture.
“The results is we can make the car lighter and lighter cars enable customers to use less gasoline and produce fewer CO2 emissions,” said Haruaki Nakatsukasa, an expert leader in Nissan’s body engineering department.
The newly developed 1.2 gigapascal steel is part of a broader goal of reducing vehicle weight and raising fuel economy through use of advanced steel technology.

Expert Leader Mori discusses steel technology

An important breakthrough allows the steel to be used on existing production lines without expensive modifications, pressing it into parts with complex shapes without risk of cracking.
“Normally, when you make the steel stronger and harder, it makes it less malleable, which means when we press the steel, we can’t make the part,” said Kiyokazu Mori, an expert leader in Nissan’s  advanced vehicle manufacturing and prototype technology department.
“The important thing is this is malleable and with the highest strength possible.”
Using less-heavy metal will become even more important from 2017, when Nissan Motor will cut vehicle weight by 15%, with high-tensile steel in up to a quarter of cars’ body parts (measure by weight).
In terms of better fuel economy, the new steel is a way for automakers to show their mettle.

Growing the Grid – Nissan Looks Back at Developing Highways, Fueling Stations and Similarities to Today

March 8 – Franklin, Tennessee – Charlie Yaeger is 97 years old. He has been driving for more than 80 years. He has driven everything from a Ford Model T to Nissan Maxima to a 1916 Baker Electric.
He is a testament to how history repeats itself. And how all change takes time. Charlie remembers when roads were hard to come by and gas stations even more sparse.
“You had to pretty well memorize where the gas stations were and where you could get off the road and have a chance of getting back on after you repaired a tire,” said Yaeger.
It took decades before U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower made it a priority to finish building infrastructure after World War II. Fast forward about 60 years to the present. Here is where history happens again.
Nissan has sold more than 50-thousand pure-electric LEAFs. The sales signal a growing need for more EV charging infrastructure. This evolution has fewer hardships though. Instead of memorizing gas station locations like Yaeger did, Nissan LEAF drivers can use an app on a smart phone to find the nearest charger. And instead getting slowed down struggling to change torn tires like Charlie did, LEAF drivers in some states get a fast-pass to drive in the HOV lane.
“Change always takes time. Change also requires the right convergence of things,” said MIT Professor Alex Pentland, director, Human Dynamics Lab.
Electric cars are almost a century old to Yaeger; but, he says this latest electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, takes driving electric to a new level. “It will be another infrastructure evolution,” said Yaeger.
This is the first in a series of video reports under the heading of “Growing the Grid.” It examines what is happening today with the U.S. plug-in charging infrastructure that will lead to mass market acceptance of EV technology.

Nissan Opens its House to Engage Future Female Engineers

March 8 – Franklin, Tenn. – Jennifer Hill is a former Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators cheerleader.  She is also a process engineer and manager at Nissan Motor Company.
“I wanted to dance and I also wanted to pursue a career in technology, and I decided to do both,” said Hill, during a keynote address at a DigiGirlz event hosted at Nissan Americas.
Big companies like Nissan say they struggle to find enough qualified engineers in general.  And only about 18 percent of the people applying for these kinds of jobs are women.
“We have so many positions for talented people in these areas and there is such a shortage for qualified people coming out of school to go into these jobs,” said Trisha Jung, director of Vehicle Connected Services at Nissan.
To help stock the future employee pool with the right types of training and skills, Nissan partnered with Microsoft to bring the tech giant’s day-long DigiGirlz program to Nissan’s Americas headquarters in Franklin, Tenn.
DigiGirlz encourages girls to pursue a career in science, technology engineering or mathematics.
Hill’s keynote speech was inspiring to the attendees, who realized that sometimes seemingly opposing interests can peacefully co-exist.
Katerina Sekulovski is a student at Tennessee’s Brentwood High School.  She loves computer programming.  But she wasn’t sure she could, or should, pursue it as a career because she also loves to play the piano and the guitar.  Hearing Hill’s story at the DigiGirlz event made her less confused about her future. “She just told me you can do both.  You don’t have to choose. So that was really cool to know.”
Last month Nissan opened a new facility in the high-tech capitol of the country, the Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley. It is an office that was established to explore new technology that will change the automobile industry completely.  Today’s DigiGirlz, like Sekulovski,  just might be the future innovative engineers the company hires to make it happen.

Japan International Boat Show Weighs Anchor

March 7 – Yokohama – Japan’s biggest marine industry event kicked off Thursday, highlighting the latest in boat technology and watercraft.
Nissan Marine’s latest Suncat, debuting at the Yokohama show, has been dubbed a “cubic sedan”, a fishing catamaran with ties to the road.
“Nissan Marine has about a 40-year history, and at this year’s show our eye-grabbing product is this Suncat 245,” said Satoru Honda, director of Nissan Marine.
Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga says his own start with Nissan was in its sea business, while he remains a licensed pilot.
“Nissan’s marine business has a very long history. Actually, when I joined Nissan I worked for the Marine department at that time,” he said.
“There are many marine sports fans, not only for pleasure boats but also for the fishing boats. I think marine sports is a good opportunity for Nissan.”
The annual Japanese boating show drew 35,000 last year, and even more are expected in 2013 at the indoor fair and outdoor Yokohama marina.
Japan’s boating industry association formed over 40 years ago and now boasts more than 100 full and associate corporate members.
“Unfortunately, there was a disaster in Tohoku with an earthquake and tsunami two years ago. Since then, the market is recovering and especially since the end of last year and the new government – ‘Abe-nomics’, the market is coming back,” said Masato Adachi, executive general manager of Yamaha Motor’s Boat Business Unit.
Overseas, signs of steady marine industry growth are emerging, with a 10% rise in new U.S. powerboat sales last year.
GE Capital Commercial Distribution Finance surveyed the U.S. marine sports industry in February and over 40% expected 5 to 10% growth this year, while GE Capital itself predicted 8% growth.
Aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats, as well as recreational craft are expected to be the top three sellers in a market estimated to have 83 million enthusiasts.
Japan, with a population of 127 million, is a smaller port of call, but the Yokohama show is hoped to provide a favorable tailwind for the industry.

Infiniti Q50 Makes European Debut in Geneva

March 6 – Geneva – Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen announced at the Geneva Motor Show the European debut of the Infiniti Q50, which will be available with a choice of diesel or turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine.

The Infiniti Q50 makes its european debut

The diesel engine is a new contender going straight to the heart of Europe’s premium sedan class.
The Infiniti Q50 introduces world-first technologies, ushers in a never-before-seen level of dynamic customization, and reinforces Infiniti‘s performance-first ethos with a Q50 Hybrid set to rewrite the record books.


The car made its European debut in the same Geneva halls that in previous years saw its concept car forebears unveiled, and the Infiniti Q50 in both diesel and hybrid forms will go on sale across Europe from autumn 2013 in a range of standard and Sport models.

Infiniti press conference in Geneva

And who tested the Infiniti Q50 before its 2013 debut? Infiniti Red Bull two-time Formula One World Champion Driver Sebastian Vettel.
Enjoy this behind-the scenes video of the tremendous performance and customization that went into developing this premium sedan, from the test tracks of Japan and Germany to the showrooms of Europe and the rest of the world.

Nissan Shows New Note at 83rd Geneva Motor Show

Mar. 6 – Geneva – The Geneva Motor Show officially opened its doors to international media Tuesday, with a raft of car debuts including a new European version of the Nissan Note.

The European version of the Nissan Note

One of Europe’s largest and most celebrated auto shows, Geneva features 260 exhibitors from 30 countries.
This year’s show is held at a historically bleak time for the region’s auto industry, after European car sales slumped to a 17-year low in 2012 and the lowest on record in January.
World and regional premieres include Nissan’s European take on the Note hatchback, with Nissan promising 15 new models in the region in the next five years.
Nissan also debuted its European-built LEAF electric vehicle, and gave a first outing in the region to its Resonance concept car.
“If you think about the future, the next couple of years should be really exciting,” said Nissan Senior Vice President Paul Willcox.

Nissan's Paul Willcox in Geneva

“The new Note will add 100,000 vehicle sales to the European business and the future cars like the LEAF and 15 models in all, we’re absolutely confident of hitting our objective of 5% market share through to 2015.”
Luxury automakers are also out in force, with McLaren’s P1, which races from zero to 300km/h in less than 17 seconds, a highlight, while Spyker unveiled a new compact, 2-door, mid-engine sports car called the B6 Venator.
New models alone may not be enough to kick-start the European auto market, but innovations on floor at least signal exciting times ahead in the region’s dealerships.

Nissan NV200: taxi, electric versions to make UK debut

Nissan will be bringing two new vehicles to the 13th annual Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC Birmingham next month. Making their UK debuts are the London taxi and electric versions of the NV200 van.
The e-NV200 is the company’s first fully-electric van, and Nissan says it has won praise with fleet operators for zero CO2 emissions at the point of use. Its powertrain is based on that employed in the Nissan Leaf.
Unveiled last year, the NV200 London Taxi is the company’s vision for the future of the iconic black cab, and has been re-designed to fully comply with the host of TfL (Transport for London) Taxi Conditions of Fitness.

Its Euro 5-compliant 89 hp 1.5 dCi engine, coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox, achieves 18.9 km per litre on the combined cycle and emits 138 grams of CO2 per km – both figures significantly improved over the London Taxi Company’s TX4 model. The vehicle comfortably seats five and can accommodate a wheelchair passenger.
Also attending the Commercial Vehicle Show are an entry-level version of the Navara pick-up (called the Navara Visia), Cabstar, NV200, NV200 Fridge, NV400 panel van and a Red Bull Formula 1 car.

Nissan Pulsar five-door hatch launched in Thailand

The Nissan Pulsar five-door hatchback has been launched in Thailand. The Pulsar, which we first saw as the new Nissan Tiida from Auto Shanghai 2011, is essentially a hatchback version of the new Nissan Sylphy. We covered the Thai launch of the new Sylphy last August.
The C-segment hatchback is 320 mm shorter than its sedan sibling, but retains the long 2,700 mm wheelbase for lots of rear legroom. The Pulsar’s wheelbase length is 100 mm longer than the roomy old Latio hatch’s, and this should translate to superior cabin space over European hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.
The Pulsar may look sportier than the Sylphy, but there’s no added firepower under the hood, no 1.6L turbo for the Thai market. Like the sedan, it can be had with either an improved HR16DE or the new MRA8DE.
The Twin C-VTC 1.6 litre unit makes 116 PS and 154 Nm of torque, while the 1.8 litre (with Twin C-VTC and a “diamond-like” carbon coating) pushes out 131 PS and 174 Nm of torque from a low 3,600 rpm. No basic manual option as per Sylphy – the Pulsar is CVT-only.
Billed as “the premium sports hatchback” in the Land of Smiles, the Pulsar is priced from 776,000 baht to 976,000 baht for the range topping 1.8V Sunroof Navi. Besides sunroof and sat-nav, the costliest Pulsar also comes with goodies like bi-xenon projector headlamps, 17-inch wheels, cruise control, Bluetooth, keyless entry and reverse camera.
Like what you see? How do you think the Nissan Pulsar will fare if it comes to Malaysia?

Nissan, Mitsubishi unveil jointly-developed minicar

Nissan and Mitsubishi have announced the names of a jointly-developed minicar that will go on sale in Japan beginning in June. The Nissan version will be called the Dayz, while the Mitsubishi model will be known as the eK.
Each will have two variants, these being the Nissan Dayz and the Dayz Highway Star, and the Mitsubishi eK Wagon and eK Custom. Naming-wise, Mitsubishi’s choice is derived from the Japanese term “ee kei,” meaning “good minicar,” while the Nissan name has the standard “s” changed to a “z” to indicate a new way of looking at delivering value to owners as they go about their normal days, so it goes.

The product planning and development of the new models was carried out by NMKV, a joint-venture formed by Nissan and Mitsubishi in 2011 to develop minicars for the Japanese market.
Following this first wave of minicar models, both companies are working on the planning and development of a second new minicar, a tall wagon design that’s slated for introduction sometime in early 2014.

Drivers, Teams & Suppliers Eye 2013 Super GT Start

March 4 – Yokohama – Excitement is building for GT-R fans ahead of the 20^th Super GT Series beginning in early April.
Drivers and teams were announced at the opening this week of the new Nismo headquarters in Japan.
Last year, GT-R cars won races around the world, including the first win at the British GT Championship and GT Cup.
The focal point for this year’s development is aerodynamics, said Nismo President Shoichi Miyatani.

Nismo President Shoichi Miyatani

Nissan will have four vehicles in the GT-500 class.
Driver Ronnie Quintarelli won the Super GT championship last year, for an unprecedented second consecutive time with teammate Masataka Yanagida.
Going into this year, driving their Number 23 car for NISMO Motul Autech, Quintarelli is confident.
“We won the first time together in 2011 – the first title. And last year, we went with the same package for the 2012 season. In the first part of the season it didn’t go so well. In the second part everything started to work well and we could win the championship again – which was really amazing,” said Quintarelli.
“It will be the first season to drive in the No. 23 car – the Nismo car. I will have the same teammate as last year, Yanagida-san, and the same Michelin tires. So I’m very confident to have a good season.”
Fellow GT-R driver Brazilian JP de Oliveira races in the No. 12 car, the Calsonic IMPUL GT-R.
Oliveria said he’s eager to do his best with teammate Tsugio Matsuda for the championship.

Teams of the Super GT Series

“I’m looking forward to improving our result from last year. We finished fourth in the championship,” said Oliveria. “I’ve started my third year with Tsugio as my teammate. Every year we have a step forward in our relationship, and we improve everything in regards to what we can do to make the team and the car better.”
“This year, as the only Bridgestone-running team within the Nissan cars, it’s going to be a new challenge for us, because obviously there’s a little bit less information. But at the same time, we can try to adapt that as much as we can to only our car, to fit our car very well.”
Yokohama, Bridgestone and Michelin are the tires for the GT500 and GT300 classes.
Bernard Delmas, President & CEO of Nihon Michelin Tire, says Super GT is the right place to develop the relationship between car and driver.

Bernard Delmas, President & CEO of Nihon Michelin Tire

“Super GT is something special, because it has a lot of races all throughout the year, so the conditions are changing. And not just the race location, but the different type of circuit, different type of temperature – a lot of rain, very hot or very cold,” said Delmas.
“All of those extreme conditions make an excellent place to develop specific tires and really the best for the car and the driver.”
Nismo  also announced as part of its expansion of high-performance vehicles that it would develop a GT-R Nismo.

The 20^th season of the Super GT Series kicks off this April at Japan’s Okayama Circuit.

NYC Taxi of Tomorrow Takes to Manhattan Streets for Milestone Evaluation

March 1 – New York – Two years ago Nissan won a bid to redesign and supply New York City’s Taxi of Tomorrow. Since then the company has been focused on perfecting the vehicle for passengers, drivers, medallion holders and fleets.
Before the new taxis appear on city streets this fall, Nissan will host a number of official milestone meetings for key stakeholders. Each meeting is designed to further refine the vehicle before it is put into service for the more than 600,000 people who hail a cab in NYC each year.
Nissan held a first ride-review of the Taxi of Tomorrow for NYC officials at its proving grounds in Arizona last fall.  This February, another milestone meeting took place in Manhattan. New York City officials evaluated the vehicle on the streets where the taxi will eventually travel. Nissan designers, engineers and product planning experts hosted the meeting to gain more feedback that will further refine the performance and function of the Taxi.
“You feel like the space is designed for you, the passenger, as opposed to the taxis that we have today where it is kind of a thrown together feel,” said Commissioner David Yassky, New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Nissan says that from powertrain, to chassis, to interior fit and finish, the Taxi of Tomorrow demonstrates the type of innovative spirit that goes into all Nissan vehicles, on the city streets of New York and around the world.

NISMO’s Next Gear

Feb. 26 – Tsurumi, Japan – Nissan Motor Company’s Nismo arm began a new era Tuesday, unveiling its global headquarters and enhanced performance-car and motorsports roles.

Nissan CEO Ghosn and Nismo's Shoichi Miyatani

Building on Nismo versions of the Juke and 370Z, the brand will launch at least one new model a year during Nissan’s current midterm business plan, including a new take on the flagship GT-R, said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.
“It’s already a superior car, in terms of performance cars, but the GT-R Nismo is going to be the lion of the jungle,” he said. “It’s going to be really on top of everything we’ve offered so far. I’m very excited to see it coming to the market.”
The special GT-R will be available within 12 months, he added, while on the track, Nismo will take on global responsibility for managing Nissan’s motorsport program.

Nismo's new headquarters

That includes top-level competition in every region from Australia’s V8 Supercars to Super GT in Japan.
From 2014, Nismo will return to the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours race with a new car now under development.
Creating Nismo’s new home in Yokohama involved redeveloping a former production site and giving it resources to go beyond the brand’s historical strengths, said Nismo President Shoichi Miyatani.
“This is going to be the center hub of activities in future,” he said.
For road cars, Nismo promises that every modification will be functional and targeted at improving on-road performance, from small models to the halo GT-R Nismo.

The Reignmakers: Super GT 2012 Champions

Feb. 26 – Yokohama – Fog rolled over the Autopolis Super GT circuit in southern Japan, as an on-coming typhoon canceled practices and raised doubts about even holding the scheduled Sunday race.
Drivers Ronnie Quintarelli and Masataka Yanagida, the reigning champions, knew the weather and a back-of-grid position at the start would make any advance in the late September race difficult.
After the duo claimed the GT500 class title the previous year, Yanagida said early results for his MOLA team in 2012 were poor.
“Everyone in the team joined forces together to become champions in 2011,” he said.
“It became tougher the next season, because the competition tried even harder not to let the title go to the same guys.”
Indeed, no driving pair had ever repeated as champions. Quintarelli said that record looked to stand until a mid-season race in northern Japan.
“From Round 4 at Sugo, finally we could get the first podium of the season – a third position,” he said.
“Usually, a third position for a champion is not really a great result, but for us it was like to win and we were really happy. That was the turning point of the season.”
The following race at historic Suzuka earned the duo the first win of the season, moving the team back into title contention.
At the 300-km Autopolis, the seventh and penultimate race of the season, the fog lifted by noon, but still wet conditions made any advance hard to envision.
The S Road REITO MOLA GT-R had a daunting 10^th pole position on the grid, with a Safety Car initially in front.
The Italian calmly  pushed the car to 7^th, but by Lap 24 – as conditions worsened – MOLA decided to change drivers on the 4.7 km circuit.
Yanagida, pushing his Michelin tires to the limit, began a sustained charge as lap times shortened. The Japanese driver reached 5^th by Lap 51, thundering to 2^nd with seven laps to go.
Still, Honda’s  #32 EPSON HSV, running on Dunlop tires, remained in the lead, as driver Yuki Nakayama fought desperately for the car’s first victory of the season.
As Quintarelli watched his partner from pit lane, time – and the season – were winding down. On the 65^th and final lap, his Japanese teammate did not disappoint – finding a narrow window to the checkered flag.
The win would give Yanagida and Quintarelli the title again, the first successive champions in the sport’s history. Looking ahead, the Italian says a three-peat championship this season with his partner, who now both drive for Nismo, was in sight.
“Honestly, I have Yanagida-san, the same teammate, the strong support of Nismo and still with Michelin, so I’m confident.”

GT500 Race Results 65 Laps

Pos	No	Machine	Driver	Time / Behind
1	1	S Road REITO MOLA GT-R	Masataka Yanagida/Ronnie Quintarelli	2:09’45.269
2	32	EPSON HSV-010	Ryo Michigami / Yuhki Nakayama	7.581
3	19	WedsSport ADVAN SC430	Seiji Ara / Andre Couto	31.747
4	24	D’station ADVAN GT-R	Hironobu Yasuda / Bjorn Wirdheim	35.489
5	39	DENSO KOBELCO SC430	Juichi Wakisaka / Hiroaki Ishiura	1’45.603
6	23	MOTUL AUTECH GT-R	Satoshi Motoyama / Michael Krumm	1’47.611
10	12	CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R	Tsugio Matsuda/JP.de Oliveira	1 Lap

NISMO Opens Next-Generation Performance HQ

Feb. 26 – Tsurumi, Japan – Nismo is opening its new headquarters on Tuesday, but late in January some top executives had a sneak peak at how things were shaping up.
Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer, said the heritage and performance embodied by Nismo were on display at the facility.
“I am now so excited to see this is headquarters, I observed a lot of its functions office, and. I think this is a good place to excite for Nismo activities, so I am very excited now,” Shiga said.
“We established Nismo in 1984. Next year we have its 30-years anniversary. The Omori facility has a lot of heritage, while before this location was a Nissan R&D center. We have developed a lot of cars from here. Nismo came here as a Nissan heritage place. From now we are expanding the Nismo brand all over the world. I’m sure we can enhance more through this headquarters.”
Nismo, led by President Shoichi Miyatani, sees the kickoff event as underscoring its DNA as well as its future.
“Based on Japan’s DNA of keen senses, the ‘katana’ was chosen as a symbol. It’s a really good theme to think about Japan-based DNA Motorsports, and a sharp-edged strong company. I feel this is really the home of Nissan motor sports,” he said.
“This showroom is 2.48 times bigger compared to the previous one. We have made the building efficient and effective for daily activities. I think this is going to be the center hub of our activities into the future.”
Both executives said the new headquarters will add excitement to the Nismo brand, and looked forward to customers and media visiting in the weeks ahead.

Nissan & NISMO: A Heritage of Motorsports and Performance

Feb. 25 – Yokohama – Nissan and Nismo will make a major announcement Tuesday, but ahead of further details, please enjoy this brief look back at decades of motorsports heritage and performance, including footage from the outback of Australia in the 1950s through the GT-R fast lanes of today.
The event in Tsurumi will mark the opening of the new Nismo production facility and headquarters near Yokohama. To watch live from c1000 JST on Feb. 26.

Dr. Maarten Sierhuis Heads New Nissan Research Center, Aims to Embrace A Silicon Valley State of Mind

Feb. 23 – Sunnyvale, Calif.  – With a new office in Silicon Valley, Maarten Sierhuis, Ph.D., says that cars are the future and he now has an opportunity to change the world.
Recently appointed to head the Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley, Sierhuis is a recognized expert in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). His team’s efforts will concentrate in the areas of autonomous driving and connected vehicle systems.
“The autonomous vehicle is coming. People have different predictions on whether it will be five years or 10 years. I think it is going to be sooner than we think. We will start with having autonomous cars driving on the highways but soon we will have autonomous trucks and transportation systems. Once we start in that direction of having autonomous vehicles be part of our highway complex, cities and people will change. People will demand it more and more,” said Sierhuis during a one-on-one interview with the Nissan Media Center.
Read more from Dr. Sierhuis below, or click the video link to hear his remarks.
Q1: How does it feel to be with Nissan Motor Company, Ltd., in this new research center, in Silicon Valley?
Dr. Sierhuis: For me, cars are the next frontier in society. It is going to change the way we live, what we do, how we do things. For me this is an opportunity to change the world and this is something that I have been interested in doing, as a researcher, for a long time. Working at NASA we always thought about where we could go and nothing was too bold. I think that to apply this to society and create a difference in the way we transport ourselves is just incredibly exciting. That is why I decided to come and join and make this a reality.
Q2: How will your previous professional experience support development of a self-driving car?
Dr. Sierhuis: My expertise is not only in building AI (artificial intelligence) systems, but also in building  human-centered AI systems, looking at how people really do things in practice and how they work. And bring that together with humans and systems and make it a seamless interaction. That is where my expertise is and what I can bring to autonomous driving. Not only from the AI perspective but also from the human perspective.
Q3: Who might benefit the most from autonomous cars?
Dr. Sierhuis: You can look at it narrowly; of course, the elderly, people with handicaps. Those are the immediate benefits that you think about. But if you look at it broadly, society will change. Not only from the perspective of the individual driving autonomously and being able to do stuff in the car that he or she was not able to do before and was just doing that at home.
But we can look at it from a societal perspective in terms of designing cities, transportation as a whole will change. And these are aspects that we are not immediately thinking about. How it will change how we live, where we live and how we will interact as a society. City planning and transportation inside of cities are things that will be changing. So, who will benefit is everybody.
We will have in the future more and more people will be able to use cars. People now who cannot afford cars will be able to  afford cars because we can share cars more easily. And so a community could have a couple of cars to help people be transported where today those individuals will not have the ability.

Q4: Besides self-driving cars, what else will happen at the Nissan Research Center – Silicon Valley?
Dr. Sierhuis: We want to take a holistic approach at this center. That means that yes the technology for allowing the car to drive by itself, the artificial intelligence technology, is definitely what we will research here.
We will also research about what services can we provide, for people inside and outside of the car. How can an electric vehicle be used when it comes home and you can connect to your house? We will also look at the impact in society and think about what can we change and what needs to be changed.
Then I think an important aspect is privacy and security. As we have connected cars, we will have a lot of private data, a lot of information that is available. How do we make sure that is secure and people can feel that their privacy in some sense remains theirs. That’s not only in autonomous cars it is right now very important in the whole World Wide Web and the Internet. It becomes more and more a topic of research when you think about connecting our cars to each other and everywhere.

Q5. What’s the benefit to this office location?
Dr. Sierhuis: Silicon Valley is where innovation happens. It’s a very exciting place and has a can-do attitude. To be part of that and setting up collaborations with new entrepreneurs and new businesses. To help and shape that together is a very important aspect. The other thing is that in Silicon Valley we have a lot of good universities and research labs that we can collaborate with. We hope to be an open center and have collaborations with the Silicon Valley attitude and spirit.
Q6: Is Nissan Motor Company a leader when it comes to innovative technology and working to develop a self-driving car?
Dr. Sierhuis: Nissan has shown to take innovation and mass produce it. The electric vehicle and the now intelligent systems that are coming out in the new Infiniti vehicles, that already have some autonomous aspects in them, and being mass produced. This is where Nissan is leading. Nissan is well positioned to take the next step and be a leader in autonomous driving and connected vehicles and that is very exciting.
Q7. What do you predict roads and cars will look like 10 years from now?
Dr. Sierhuis: One thing I think for sure is that the autonomous vehicle is coming. People have different predictions on whether it will be five years or 10 years. I think it is going to be sooner than we think. We will start with having autonomous cars driving on the highways but soon we will have autonomous trucks and transportation systems. Once we start in that direction of having autonomous vehicles be part of our highway complex, cities and people will change. People will demand it more and more. Who doesn’t want to be able to be reading his email in the car or watching the news show he was watching when he came from home. So I think it will be soon and especially here in Silicon Valley the early adopters will try things and we will see a jump made very quickly.