LAS VEGAS — Jan. 7, 2011 — Wednesday at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nissan hosted an event to showcase the all-new Nissan LEAF electric car, which first shipped in December 2010. The LEAF includes a touch-screen Information Hub powered by the Windows Embedded Automotive platform with a real-time locator for public charging, timers for charging and running heat or air conditioning, energy usage, and more.
Nissan’s 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF is a “new car” in every sense of the word. The Nissan LEAF doesn’t use a single drop of gas and produces zero tailpipe emissions. In fact, it doesn’t even have a tailpipe. With 100 miles of driving range on a single charge, the Nissan LEAF is the world’s first affordable, practical all-electric car available for the mass market.
Nissan’s Tim Gallagher and Microsoft’s Steven Bridgeland at the Nissan LEAF party.
The Nissan event at the Little Buddha sushi bar and lounge at the Palms Casino Resort had 200 attendees on hand who were eager to see the LEAF and talk with representatives from Nissan and Microsoft.
Steven Bridgeland from Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Business fielded dozens of questions from curious partygoers. “We are very excited about the new Nissan LEAF running Windows Embedded Automotive, and what we have seen from the new LEAF is very impressive,” he said as he showed off the LEAF’s capabilities.
Olivier Chalouhi, the first owner of a Nissan LEAF in the world, and a guest of honor at the event commented, “The LEAF is a great car. It’s one of the best I have ever owned, and I’ve owned a few. There are so many fantastic features, but my favorite has to be the Bluetooth connection. It works perfectly, from accessing the address book and playing music to simply making a call. It’s great — I get into my car, activate my handheld device, and I can listen to the music I want to listen to.”
Throughout CES Microsoft highlighted its automotive platform, discussing how through collaboration with Ford, Kia and the Nissan LEAF, Windows Embedded Automotive provides integrated services for communication, entertainment, navigation and information for the mass market. With Windows Embedded Automotive 7, the recently announced next generation of the Windows Embedded Automotive platform, Microsoft provides car-makers and suppliers with access to the latest tools and technology for in-vehicle innovation.
Microsoft’s automotive efforts continue to be critically acclaimed, having won more than 22 awards, including the best platform award at the Automotive Telecommunication Technology Tokyo convention, and was named by Automotive News as one of the top 25 innovations of the past 15 years. For more updates on Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Automotive platform, follow us on Twitter at @MSFTWEB.
