ECS Students Get Ride of a Lifetime at Nissan's Proving Grounds

By Ellie Johnson

As the Chief Vehicle Assessment Specialist for Nissan Americas, Tim Franklin regularly spends time test driving cars at the company’s proving grounds, located south of Phoenix, Arizona. In Fall 2024, Franklin invited a group from Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science to join him. Their visit coincided with the Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE) conference in Phoenix. 

Eagerly accepting the invitation was Annette von Jouanne, Ph.D., professor of energy systems in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, along with third-year PhD student Obinna Onodugo, postdoctoral researcher Pascal Lingom, and undergraduate researcher Nicholas Storti.

“Spending time at Nissan's Technical Center Proving Grounds and experiencing the multiple vehicle testing courses was an opportunity of a lifetime for our Baylor students and me!” said Dr. von Jouanne. 

Franklin transported the team from the conference to the impressive 3,000+ acre Nissan Technical Center Proving Grounds. There, Senior Manager Owen Thunes provided an overview of the facility, highlighting various testing tracks and facilities designed for rigorous vehicle evaluation, including high-speed ovals and comfortability courses. 

“As a proud Baylor ECS graduate, I was excited for the students to get a peak under the cover of the often-secretive world I work in,” Franklin said. “Hopefully, the possibilities of what a career in engineering expanded in the minds of the students. I certainly don’t spend all my days in a cubicle.” 

Thanks to the hospitality of Franklin and Thunes, the visit to Nissan’s Proving Grounds was a remarkable experience for Dr. Von Jouanne and the Baylor students, providing them with firsthand insight into automotive testing and the innovative processes that drive vehicle development. This and other opportunities are sparked when ECS alumni and friends choose to find creative ways to give back.

Franklin’s more frequent involvement with ECS began in March 2022, when Tim was in his previous position as Nissan’s Director of Product & Service Planning.  He and his son Graham, now a Baylor student, toured the Baylor Energy & Renewable Systems Lab, one of several ECS labs at the 330,000-square-foot Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative. 

“After visiting Dr. Von Jouanne’s lab and seeing the creativity and learning, I thought the students might appreciate experiencing the giant lab that is our Arizona proving grounds, a serious workshop for Nissan as we develop the next generation of vehicles,” Franklin said.

During their visit with Dr. von Jouanne, a conversation about electric vehicle (EV) testbeds sparked a proposal for Nissan to donate two Ariya EVs to the lab. Since July 2023, the vehicles have played critical roles in research and education for both undergraduate and graduate students.

“It makes me proud to see the next generation of Baylor Engineers able to use Nissan Ariyas for learning and discovery; I sure wish there was a Car Dynamometer in the lab when I was at Baylor,” Franklin said. “It is a joy to see Baylor’s Engineering program continue to grow in excellence and size.”