At the 2012 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in April, about 12,000 engineers from around the globe were in Detroit, Michigan to talk about where the auto industry is going. In two words…getting connected.
“When we chose ‘get connected’ for this year’s theme, it was not meant in just the obvious way of connecting electric vehicles to the grid.
It also was meant to develop new connections with companies that may not be a traditional part of automotive, to develop these resources and technologies that you need,” said Bob Sump, vice president, Nissan Technical Center North America and chairman of this year’s SAE event.
At the late April event, there were delegations from Korean, Canadian, Mexican, Italian and other foreign companies, as well as trade groups in the vendor display area. Nissan and its strategic partner, GE, showed an interactive exhibit to demonstrate the integration of electric cars like the Nissan LEAF into the home with the latest Smart Grid technologies.
“As a global leader inGetting connected with EVs the development and sale of electric vehicles, we know that it is crucial to collaborate with companies like GE to expand the use of this technology and to open doors to more consumers,” said Carla Bailo, senior vice president, Research and Development, Nissan Americas. “The innovations in the Nissan/GE display at 2012 SAE World Congress demonstrate what happens when two industry leaders ‘Get Connected’ to benefit our customers.”
Also at the 2012 SAE World Congress was Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga who delivered a keynote address at the annual banquet, saying that “auto manufacturers must move beyond reacting to one another, and be proactive.” Mr. Shiga said that the technological and societal challenges of moving electric vehicles beyond their current foothold will require new and creative collaborations between companies – and industries – that may not have been obvious partners before – like GE and Nissan.
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