Keynote Speeches & Leadership Talks

Keynote: Scott Keogh, President & CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

With the automotive industry set to embark on its biggest transformation ever and the American market gearing up for change, there is no greater market opportunity than electrification, says Scott Keogh, President and CEO Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. Volkswagen has the product, the scale, and the strategy to usher in an electric future. The EV market is only just starting to take shape. However, to ensure a strong market has a real chance to emerge, government and industry must work together – to benefit all consumers and all workers, and ultimately, to lead America’s EV revolution.

Leadership Talk: Dr. Gill Pratt, Chief Scientist, Toyota Motor Corporation, CEO, Toyota Research Institute

How do we create the path to carbon neutrality by 2050 — and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change? As the Chief Scientist, Dr. Gill Pratt guides research strategy for the Toyota Motor Corporation. He also serves as the CEO of Toyota Research Institute, where he directs research to advance robotics, energy and materials, machine learning, and human-centered artificial intelligence. Dr. Pratt discusses how reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will require a range of electrified solutions and technological advancements. By focusing on diversity and our “carbon return on investment,” we can maximize the utilization of every EV battery cell produced and more quickly reduce our carbon emissions.

Leadership Talk: Rep. Debbie Dingell, U.S. House of Representatives, (MI-12)

How do we pave the way for a greener planet without eliminating jobs in the process? Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-12) discusses how the U.S. will make the transition from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles while ensuring domestic manufacturing and good-paying American jobs.

Fireside Chats

Fireside Chat: Secretary Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Department of Energy

How will government and companies come together to meet EV aspirations? How will all stakeholders work together to tackle the challenges of the scarcity of resources and supply chain disruptions? Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm sits down with John Bozzella to discuss the Administration’s role in meeting the goal of 40-50 percent sales of EVs by 2030, global competitiveness among the U.S. and other auto-building countries, uncertainty in the global economy and more.

Fireside Chat: Deputy Secretary Don Graves, U.S. Department of Commerce

How will government and industry stakeholders unite to foster innovation and economic opportunity for communities across the United States? How will collaboration tackle near- and long-term supply chain solutions? Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves sits down with John Bozzella to discuss the Administration’s role in maintaining U.S. leadership in manufacturing as the auto industry transitions to electric, the importance of equity, accessibility and affordability for consumers, and the cautionary tale of the semiconductor chips shortage.

Fireside Chat: Tyson Jominy, Vice President, Data & Analytics, Power Information Network, J.D. Power

What are the most important market trends for the future of the auto industry? How is the industry navigating the supply chain disruptions and related inventory constraints? Tyson Jominy joins John Bozzella for a conversation on the current market environment and provides his take on the latest sales data.

Fireside Chat: Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit & Author of The New Map: Energy, Climate, and The Clash of Nations

How are energy revolutions, climate battles, and geopolitics mapping our future? Daniel Yergin engages in a conversation with John Bozzella on the broader geopolitics of electric vehicles, including the substantial investment being made by automakers in these technologies, as well as the global competition among auto-producing nations for minerals and materials in the supply chain. The transformation to electrification will have implications for U.S. leadership and geopolitical relations for decades to come.

TIP Talks

TIP Talk: Austin Russell, Founder & CEO, Luminar

Austin Russell is the Founder and CEO of Luminar Technologies (NASDAQ: LAZR), the global leader in automotive LiDAR hardware and software technology. Under Austin’s leadership, Luminar has developed the first LiDAR and software technology capable of powering the production of autonomous vehicles, has amassed over 50 commercial partners including the majority of the world’s largest automakers, and went public on the NASDAQ in December 2020. Mr. Russell discusses how our industry can work together to unlock the next generation of vehicle safety in the near-term by enhancing safety systems on consumer vehicles through the use of technology like Luminar's own Proactive Safety™ to provide the vehicles with higher-confidence detection and enable proactive collision avoidance at much higher speeds.

TIP Talk: Jack Weast, Intel Fellow, CTO, Corporate Strategy Office

With the technical development of automated vehicles nearly complete, there is one final barrier that exists to the safe and scalable deployment of this lifesaving technology, and that is: what does it mean for a machine to drive safely? Driving safely is cultural, and while we know it when we see it, there is no formal definition of what constitutes a safe vs. an unsafe driver. That is until now. IEEE 2846 is a forthcoming standard that will help industry and government come together to align on this important question so that all parties can be on the same page for what it means for a machine to drive safely.

TIP Talk: Bryan Salesky, Founder & CEO, Argo AI

Bryan is passionate about incorporating promising robotics technology into products and systems that will improve safety and productivity while enhancing people’s lives. While at Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), Bryan managed a portfolio of the center’s largest commercial programs, including autonomous mining trucks for Caterpillar. In 2007, Bryan led software engineering for Tartan Racing, Carnegie Mellon’s winning entry in the DARPA Urban Challenge. Bryan departed NREC and joined the Google self-driving car team in 2011 to continue the push toward making self-driving cars a reality. While at Google, Bryan was responsible for the development and manufacture of their hardware portfolio, which included self-driving sensors, computers and several vehicle development programs. He is the co-host of the No Parking Podcast, a show dedicated to demystifying and building trust in self-driving cars. Bryan graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in 2002.

Panel Discussions

Panel: Stronger Links: Seeking Resiliency in Supply Chains

How do we realize more resilient supply chains? How do we create supply chains that support EV/AV transformations? How fast can it happen? Moderator Carla Bailo, President & CEO of the Center for Automotive Research, leads our esteemed panelists in a conversation on one of the hottest topics of the day.driver. That is until now. IEEE 2846 is a forthcoming standard that will help industry and government come together to align on this important question so that all parties can be on the same page for what it means for a machine to drive safely.

Panel: Safety: Never Satisfied

Will innovation or regulation guide the future of safety? Industry leaders discuss current advanced technologies, driver monitoring systems, and innovations in new vehicle safety. Moderator Jane Terry of the National Safety Council guides panelists in a discussion on the future of safety.

Panel: The Future is Electric. The Speed May be Shocking

The Biden Administration wants 40-50 percent EV sales by 2030. Can we get there from today’s 3 percent? Join moderator Genevieve Cullen from the Electric Drive Transportation Association as she and leading experts discuss the challenge -- and what’s needed to realize a net-zero carbon transportation future.

Panel: Facilitating the Future: Getting AVs to the Roads

What is the policy landscape AVs need to succeed? Former regulators and industry leaders help us understand where we go from here. Axios Transportation Correspondent Joann Muller guides a conversation on existing pilots, deployments, and perspectives that are defining the future today.