Gm's Tom Stephens Elected Member of Nae

Group Vice President of General Motors Powertrain, Tom Stephens was elected as the new member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

NAE or National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 and operates under the Congressional Charter granted by the National Academy of Science in 1863. The members of this organization are comprised of the nation’s premier engineers who are voted by their peers for their extraordinary contributions to engineering.

The election in NAE which is attended by about 2,200 US members is among the highest professional merit afforded to an engineer. The Academy members pay tribute to those who have shared outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education, pioneering and developing new fields of technology, and sponsoring major advancements in traditional fields of engineering.

The global powertain organization that Stephens is heading is comprised of 52,000 employees working at more than eighty manufacturing plants and engineering centers in 17 countries. The organization can produce about thirty-six thousand engine and thirty-two thousand transmissions a day.

According to Automotive Engineering International’s editor Lindsay Brooke, Stephen’s powertrain team is launching a new wave of gasoline and clean diesel engines, six-speed transmissions, hybrids and alternative-fuel powertrains for General Motors’ cars and trucks that will improved fuel economy, enhanced performance, reduce emissions and increase customer choice. In addition, Stephen’s team is also working on a number of future technologies that will provide customers with far more options including plug-in hybrid technology and GM’s range-extending hybrid electric drivetrain equipped in the Chevrolet Volt concept.

Stephen occupies a position in General Motors’ Energy and Environmental Strategy Board and serves on the automaker’s North American and Automotive Strategy Boards. He also serves on the board of directors for FIRST or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics Competition. Add to his long list of positions hold at the moment, is his membership at the Detroit Science Center Board of Trustees. He also holds a position on the University of Michigan National Advisory Council.

General Motors Corporation is the world’s largest automaker and has been the leader in the global industry sales for 76 years. It was founded in 1908 and currently employs about 284,000 employees around the world. Its global headquarters is in Detroit. General Motors manufactures cars and trucks in thirty-three countries. GM is used not only as an acronym for the company itself but also used to refer to its line of auto parts like GM parking light, GM oxygen sensor and more.

General Motors has sold nearly 9.1 million vehicles last year under the following brands: Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, GM, Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, OPel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, and Vauxhall.