By Denis Le Vot
Senior Vice President, Chairman of Management Committee, Nissan North America, Inc.; Chairman, Nissan North America
“Last week in Montreal, Canada, I was proud to represent Nissan at the Movin’ On 2018 World Summit on Sustainable Mobility. This gathering brought together more than 4,000 corporate, government, and media leaders to explore a central theme: ‘Bringing global, smart, sustainable and multimodal mobility to life.’
“During the summit, I participated in panel discussion with Dr. Peter F. Tropschuh, Head of Sustainability at AUDI AG; and Karim Zagib, Director General of Hydro-Québec’s Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage. The session was moderated by Alexis Gazzo, a partner in EY’s Cleantech Sustainability division. During our conversation, we explored some of the ways that new technologies can minimize CO2 emissions. I was excited to discuss the “Nissan Intelligent Mobility” concept and share how Nissan’s focus on cutting-edge innovation is advancing our zero-emission and zero-fatality goals, particularly through the deployment of electric vehicle and autonomous drive technologies.
“As I stated during the session, I’m proud that Nissan has been a leader is introducing and advancing these technologies. We’re especially thrilled that, as the EV segment pioneer, Nissan has brought the benefits of the EV lifestyle – and a uniquely fun driving experience – to more than 300,000 customers worldwide.
“One key area Nissan intends to focus on is encouraging more cooperation with the public sector. For example, we have seen firsthand how important government action can be in encouraging the adoption of EVs.
“It’s no coincidence that LEAF sales are strongest in markets where governments are incentivizing EV use – in countries like Norway and Japan, and cities like San Francisco. In Canada, Quebec is a great example. Today, 48% of all LEAF sales take place in Quebec. That directly reflects the province’s efforts to grow its charging network – as well as the ZEV mandate that went into effect this year, and the fact that Quebec provides a considerable ($8,000) tax rebate on EV purchases. These kinds of government investments and public policies are critical to ensuring that consumer utilize technologies that reduce CO2 emissions.
“As we move forward, Nissan will remain committed to accelerating our technology development efforts, reducing the environmental impact of our products and operations, collaborating with public and private sector partners, and making the RD investments necessary to lead the way toward a new era of more efficient, more sustainable, and safer mobility.”
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