Shift Magazine - March 2021 - S3

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Q&A with President of
Ricardo North America

TRANSFORMING MOBILITY
FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

t the outset of World War I, military
tanks produced massive amounts
of smoke, signaling far-away enemy
forces about their battlefield whereabouts.
Harry Ricardo, an English engine designer
renowned for his internal combustion expertise and founder of Ricardo plc, invented a
solution. His six-cylinder brainchild for the
landmark Mark V tank was more powerful
than its predecessors and, remarkably,
emitted minimal smoke emissions. Near the
end of the war, more than 100 of his engine
designs were being produced weekly.
The evolution of Ricardo North America
(www.ricardo-northamerica.com), a subsidiary of flagship Ricardo plc, is a distinct
reflection of the company's century-old heritage and approach to design. Today's North
America-based leadership and engineering
teams specialize in the design, development
and integration of complete vehicle systems.
Leveraging expertise from traditional and
advanced propulsion, embedded software and intelligent connectivity, Ricardo
provides a holistic approach to challenges
in designing the vehicles of tomorrow.
With a client roster that boasts some of the
world's foremost OEMs, energy companies,
supply chain organizations and government
agencies, Ricardo is developing transportation advancements that bridge the chasm
between new tech innovation and new tech
mass adoption.
While internal combustion engines will
remain relevant for years to come, Ricardo
is improving operations by blending ICE with
EVs and other tech to boost power, lower
emissions and push to a cleaner future.
" We look at innovation differently, " says
President Marques McCammon. " We focus
on innovating technologies on our own

BY THE NUMBERS

0

All new cars and passenger trucks sold
in California by 2035 will be
zero-emission vehicles.

300 million
Lines of software code expected to be
installed in passenger vehicles by 2030.

100%

From light-duty to heavy duty vehicles,
on-highway and off, the percentage of
of OEMs that have utilized
Ricardo expertise and experience.
and with our customer-partners to form the
connective tissue that will culminate in a
zero-carbon planet. "
Ricardo has been driving advancements
in propulsion systems of the industrialized
world since the organization's inception.
This journey led to Ricardo's innovation in
software and digital tools setting standards
for digital development across the industry.
" There's no better organization to stand at
the convergence of software and hardware, "
says McCammon.
" Today, as the migration to newer propulsion solutions accelerates, Ricardo provides
the balance of a 100-year propulsion
legacy, and the next 100 years of transport
innovation.

Q: It's been a rather unprecedented period since
you assumed leadership of the organization...
A: A global pandemic,
US-China trade war, the
UK (where Ricardo is
headquartered) confronting
Brexit and the auto industry
in transition. Through it all,
we've formed a very strong
leadership team, grown
our organization in the
U.S., developed solid new
Marques
customer partnerships and
McCammon has
enhanced our status in the
led Ricardo North
marketplace.
America since
October 2019
Q: Your career includes
concepting the first modern
four-door convertible, becoming a top exec for
an electric car start-up and GM/VP for an Intel
subsidiary. What attracted you to Ricardo?
A: I love product development. I've always been
drawn to transportation technologies.
For more than a century, Ricardo has tackled the
most challenging technical problems - particularly
in propulsion and related technologies. We look
at transportation in a holistic sense - whether
it's motorcycles, light- and heavy-duty vehicles,
on-highway and off-highway, military, aerospace,
marine or rail. We expand our learnings horizontally
across all these industries to find novel solutions to
meet the challenge of the moment.
Q: The top OEMs lost about $100 billion in 2020.
How has Ricardo navigated this market?
A: Ricardo sits uniquely at the cornerstone of
innovation. We support material transformations in
technology through engineering and design, so as
OEMs have restructured, we've become even more
valuable to the industry.
Q: What sort of customers does Ricardo seek?
A: Companies and people seeking to improve
the state of life for all humans and the planet.
We're engaged in projects ranging from mapping
pathways for better air quality and clean water, to
speeding development of high-speed rail systems
and building software to make vehicle development
smarter and autonomous systems more scalable.
Q: What is the 'next normal' for the auto industry?
A: There will be a higher consideration for ESG -
environmental, social and governance - across all
governments and corporations. Digital tools will
create access and equity in business and society,
establishing faster time to market, more efficient
delivery of product and lower costs.
Some new EVs will create new services and
connectivity with customers and continue to grow
rapidly. And we will draw data from devices for
deeper engagement with customer needs and
better optimization of our design approach.
Finally, COVID-driven pains have opened doors
to a new dimension of connection, which should
accelerate our path to innovation and make our
post-pandemic world much stronger.
http://www.ricardo-northamerica.com
Shift Magazine - March 2021

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