For Greg Reichow electric vehicles (EVs) aren’t just a way to get around. They’re a stage in evolution. Reichow, the former vice president of production at Tesla, does drive a Tesla model S, but that’s beside the point. He sees the development of the EV — and the methods Tesla used to apply technology to improve both its product and its process — as an example of industrial evolution, a term that he and his current firm, Eclipse Ventures, use to describe the companies they’re interested in supporting — those that are applying new ways of thinking to help traditional businesses adapt.
“We’re investing in companies that are building new manufacturing technologies, new logistics, or automation approaches,” he says. “It’s really bringing innovation to the 75 percent of the GDP that is focused on large, traditional industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, energy, that type of thing.”
Reichow is joining The UW Now Livestream on March 12 to discuss the future of the EV. To offer insight, he will draw on his experience from Tesla, where he led worldwide manufacturing and supply chain.”
My Chief Area of Expertise Is:
It would be in manufacturing and supply chain of complex mechanical, electrical, and software systems. EV is a great example of that. And bringing those complex systems from being an idea to high-volume production is what my career has been about.
Tonight on The UW Now I will Talk About:
I’m planning on talking about why EVs will or will not be successful, the less obvious benefits of EVs, and the road ahead for making them more affordable.
To Get Smart Fast, See:
I think a great place to go is to our website. We have quite a few news articles, thoughtful posts that people put together that are talking about different topics that are relevant to that area. And electrification is certainly one of those. I would also recommend Who Killed the Electric Car and its follow-up, The Revenge of the Electric Car.
