- Industry's foremost thinkers unite to tackle the "connected cities conundrum"
- Brings together technology, transportation, energy and infrastructure sectors
- Industry collaboration designed to advance the Intelligent Mobility debate
LONDON – Nissan today announced the launch of a brand new expert Advisory Board focused on furthering the Intelligent Mobility debate beyond the automotive community in Europe. Convened for the very first time at the Crystal in London, one of the world's most sustainable buildings, the Intelligent Motoring Advisory Board brought together a cross-section of industry leaders to tackle one of the fundamental issues of our age – the future of mobility and "smarter," cleaner living.
Led by the Head of Electric Vehicles for Nissan in Europe, Gareth Dunsmore, the Advisory Board was independently chaired by eminent technology and science commentator Stephen Pritchard. Made up of twelve members from across Europe, representing a range of companies and organizations including the European Climate Foundation, Frost & Sullivan and Ecotricity, the Advisory Board will convene twice a year as part of an ongoing partnership and program of activity.
Commenting on the launch of the board, Nissan's Gareth Dunsmore said: "At Nissan, we're not content sitting back and watching as our cities become more complex, crowded and congested. Selling cars is no longer a moment-in-time transaction. Cars have a fundamental impact on the cities we live in and the lives we lead. With the advent of new technologies and drivetrain innovations, new mobility solutions can make our lives ‘smarter' and better connected. This is why we're thrilled to launch the Nissan Intelligent Motoring Advisory Board; we hope others in the industry will join us on this journey."
The inaugural meeting, which took place on April 27, 2016, focused on the topic of smart motoring and the connected city conundrum. Though convened by Nissan, the Advisory Board remains an independent group of experts. Its primary aim is to provide an open space for leaders in their field to share ideas in search of mobility solutions, which could change the way we live. This may be electric vehicles today, but the group will also explore future possibilities.
Nissan remains a market leader in providing mass-market electric vehicle (EV) solutions with its Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 van. Sales of Nissan's EVs are now in excess of 220,000 globally with the Nissan LEAF 30 kWh now providing customers with an extended driving range of up to 250km on one charge. The company is also working with energy companies and power management firms to explore next generation battery technology, giving EV owners access to smarter, cleaner energy management systems, which can also save them money.
Gareth Dunsmore added: "Our desire for increased mobility is greater than ever before, putting a huge strain on the cities and roads of tomorrow. At Nissan, we recognized this five years ago when we launched our 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF. Zero emission motoring is no pipedream. It's a very real motoring solution to a very real problem. We hope our Advisory Board will set us on course as we go about this business transformation."
Sarwant Singh, Senior Partner at Frost and Sullivan and mega trends expert said: "Mobility is undergoing a huge transformation with the advent of digitization, urbanization and a marked behavioral change in millennials. It is therefore heartening to see that industry-leading players like Nissan are bringing thought leaders together to shape the future of mobility."
Pete Harrison, Director, European Climate Foundation commented: "The Paris Agreement shows that there is a global will to tackle the threat of climate change but we cannot continue moving at the same steady pace. New, electrified and connected mobility concepts have the potential to get the sector back on track by transitioning to a new low-carbon mobility paradigm. This will deliver multiple co-benefits: better air quality, less noise pollution, energy security and improved economic resilience."
Jorn Madslien, Editor-at-large, Green.TV said: "Modern cars are technological marvels and the automotive industry is one of the most hi-tech industries in the world, so its ability to come up with workable solutions to some of the world's most profound challenges needs to be appreciated by both policy makers and by society at large. The industry has made it clear that is ready to do its bit and work together with other sectors, with governments and with non-governmental organizations to make real change."
The next Board meeting is scheduled to take place in October 2016.
Members of the Nissan Intelligent Motoring Advisory Board include:
- Frederic Hauge, Founder and President, Bellona
- Dr. Gregory Offer, Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London
- Jorn Madslien, Editor-at-Large, Green.TV
- Marie Castelli, Secretary General, Avere
- Pete Harrison, Director, Transport Programme, European Climate Foundation
- Sarwant Singh, Senior Partner, Frost & Sullivan
- Simon Crowfoot, Board Director, Ecotricity
- Dr. Valentina Gentili, Principal Scientist, Johnson Matthey Battery Systems
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. In 2014 Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2014, the company sold more than 5.3 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.3 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceana; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500, and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault under the Renault-Nissan Alliance since March 1999.
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Contact
Kayleigh Edwards, Nissan Europe
Kayleigh.edwards@ntc-europe.co.uk
Tel: +44 1234 755 860
Cedric Ratinaud, Nissan Europe
CRatinaud@nissan-europe.co.uk
Tel: +33 616 643 481
Katherine Zachary, Nissan Europe
KZachary@nissan-europe.com
Tel: +33 172 672 922