UCGEC Transportation Seminar Series No. 1 Speakers

Cliff Nakayama, UCGEC Transportation Taskforce;  Managing Director, Mostwell International LLC, based in California ( www.mostwellintl.com ); Vice Chairman, DIAS Holding, Inc.

Cliff Nakayama has extensive executive experience in automotive supply (Asia Forging Supply Company), aerospace/defense ( United Defense, acquired by BAE Systems), software ( Synchronicity acquired by MatrixOne/Dassault Systems), and manufacturing (FMC Corporation). As Vice President for a major defense/aerospace company, Cliff ran two U.S. product lines and established overseas operations in Taiwan.  He is one of the few executives to have successfully run operations in two different countries, and in two different industries.  Cliff is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and from Pepperdine University of Malibu, California with a MBA.

Professor Andrew A Frank, CTO,  Efficient Drivetrains Incorporated;  Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California-Davis

Professor Frank started at Rockwell International from 1955 to 1967 working on aerospace projects.  He received two patents on Helicopter controls and worked on Minuteman Missile system and the Apollo man on the Moon project. After receiving a PhD, he started hybrid electric vehicle research in 1970 with the design and construction of a plug-in hybrid.  Due to limitations in power electronics and battery technology, his attention was focused on flywheel and other auxiliary energy storage hybrids in an effort to greatly improve fuel economy and performance.  Work also started on the design of Mechanical Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT).  He designed and constructed two world class super mileage vehicles setting world records at 3300 mpg on gasoline and 2200 mpg on M85.  In 1990, he refocused his research effort on the Plug-In Hybrid with the development of 15 patents, and his team has received world-wide interest. Over the last 30 years he has constructed 15 award winning  hybrid vehicles with 60 miles electric range and double the fuel economy when using gasoline using a variety of energy storage concepts.  The last 15 years he has focused  specifically on the Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, PHEV, using advanced batteries. He has written over 110 papers and received 30 patents on advanced automotive systems. Professor Frank received  BS and MS Mechanical Engineering from Univ. of California Berkeley in 1958 and PhD Electrical Engineering from Univ. of Southern California in 1967.

Saul Zambrano,  Director, Clean Air Transportation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Saul Zambrano joined PG&E Corporation in 2008 to lead the Clean Air Transportation group.  In his new role, Saul has responsibility for accelerating the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles (including Plug-In Electric Hybrid Vehicles) and solving the issues with respect to the efficient integration of alternative fuel vehicles with the grid. From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Zambrano was Director of the Global Finance Transformation Initiative for Carlson Wagonlit Travel, with responsibility for system and process improvements for existing and new product/service offerings, technology platform standardization, and financial settlements (client and supplier).  From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Zambrano was the Director of WiMAX Solutions Commercial Marketing for Intel Corporation.  In that role he managed a Global team responsible for working with wireless carriers, regulatory bodies and ISPs to implement next generation wireless data networks and advised Intel Capital on several investments and Joint Ventures in Global telecommunications companies (start-up and established).  Mr. Zambrano spent the first 10 years of his career as an IT consultant, business development and finance professional with Nortel Networks, IBM Consulting and JP Morgan.  Over that time, Mr. Zambrano led multiple technology transformation projects (process and new technology introduction) in the telecom, energy and banking sectors.  Representative clients include; Sprint, Verizon, KDDI, Telefonica, America Movil, Cable & Wireless, Saudi Aramco, and JP Morgan.Mr. Zambrano graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Masters of Business Administration degree and University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics.

Dr. Peng Zhou (周鹏), Electric Vehicle Technologist

Dr. Peng Zhou is an electric vehicle technologist and an adviser for clean tech companies and investors.  Dr. Zhou served as Director, Research and Development at Tesla Motors where he managed Tesla Motors’ Advanced Projects group.  During his tenure at Tesla Motors, he led the development of 1.5 powertrain for Tesla Roadster; and was named Chief Engineer for Model S powertrain.  Before joining Tesla Motors, Inc., Dr. Zhou served in various start-ups including High Speed Solutions, Inc. (acquired by Intel Corp.) and Cooligy, Inc. (acquired by Emerson Electric).  At Cooligy, Dr. Zhou led the technology development of a mass-produced micro-channel liquid cooling systems for high-end workstations.  Dr. Zhou received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and MS and BS degree from University of Science and Technology in China.

Matthew Crosby, Analyst, Policy & Planning Division, California Public Utilities Commission

Matthew Crosby is an analyst working on vehicle electrification and market-based climate strategies in the Policy and Planning Division at the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco.  The CPUC regulates investor-owned electricity and natural gas utilities in the state of California.  He holds a Masters of Science in Urban Planning with a concentration in urban energy systems and international economic development from Columbia University.  He has advised the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability in the City of New York, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Commission to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the Executive Office of the Dominican Republic on a variety of topics relating to energy, air quality, and sustainable development.  His most recent analysis is a CPUC Policy and Planning Division white paper entitled: “Light-duty vehicle electrification in California: Opportunities and Barriers.”  It is intended to invite stakeholder input on what the CPUC can do in coordination with its sister energy agencies to facilitation the commercialization in plug-in electric vehicles in California vehicle markets.  He is also delighted to be here, and would be happy to present some form of his CPUC staff analysis, which he has copies of, to your respective organizations.