November 14
@
4:00 PM
–
5:00 PM
The ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture Series features campus and visiting speakers who present on a variety of research topics in the field of mechanical engineering.
Presentation title: The Electric Vehicle (EV) is a better overall solution for some use-cases
Abstract: Electric Vehicles (EV’s) have a long history and were first conceived before internal combustion engine vehicles. For many reasons there is renewed interest in EV’s which is resulting in the largest transformation in the automotive industry since its infancy in the early 1900’s. While the current EV’s have their challenges, they are a better solution for many use-cases and are a potential longer-term solution to a more affordable automobile for many customers.
Bio: Rod is currently Executive Chairman of Slate, which is exploring an opportunity within the electric vehicle (EV) market. He is also the Chairman of the Board for an EV technology start-up company, Exro Technologies and is on the Board of a modular construction company, Volumetric Building Companies.
Rod was the COO of Rivian Automotive for almost two years before retiring at the end of 2021. As the company’s first COO he was responsible for operationalizing the company to launch three vehicles and ramp production as the company transitioned from a deep focus on engineering/product development to a public manufacturing company with customers. He helped scale the company from 1500 employees to over 10,000, while maintaining a “fast, frugal and scrappy” culture.
Prior to Rivian, he was President of the Americas for Royal Enfield, an English motorcycle brand that was founded in 1901 and became an India-based company in 1970. Rod was literally the first non-Indian employee of the company and was responsible for re-introducing the brand into the Americas. He led the company to become the largest middle-weight motorcycle company in North America in less than five years.
Rod is a 1993 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program, where he earned an MBA and an S.M. in mechanical engineering. He also holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering, from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.