Karachi-born NED University Alum Leads Mercedes Entry into Electric Vehicles
By Riaz Haq
'Pakistani-German Sajjad Khan is leading German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz's entry into the electric vehicle market with six new all-electric “EQ” models, according to media reports. Sajjad Khan was born in Karachi and graduated from NED Engineering University with a degree in computer science.
Sajjad Khan is currently executive vice president and a board member of Stuttgart-based Daimler. He is partnering with entrepreneurs around the world, including those in Silicon Valley where Mercedes has a development team of over 300 people in Sunnyvale, California. Mercedes-Benz EQS line is the first to utilize the new electric architecture designed for high-end luxury and executive EV models.
At the CES 2021 show in Las Vegas, Sajjad Khan has unveiled details of Mercedes' 56 inch MBUX Hyperscreen system that represents the latest evolution of the automaker’s MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) central command center. “The MBUX Hyperscreen is at the same time the brain and nervous system of the car, [as] it is connected to all components of the vehicle and communicates with them,” says Khan.
Sajjad Khan was born on October 30, 1973, in Karachi, Pakistan. He joined DaimlerChrysler AG in 2001, according to Mercedes-Benz website. There he worked on various projects in the field of infotainment before transferring to the materials purchasing department in 2004, where he procured electronic components for cars.
Sajjad Khan left Mercedes and moved to Magna in 2007, where he was responsible as director for the e-car and electronics unit as well as for cross-section functions in global procurement. From 2011 to 2015, he worked for BMW Group AG, where he ultimately became Vice President, responsible for the Connected Drive system worldwide.
Sajjad Khan took over the responsibility for Digital Vehicle and Mobility as Vice President at Daimler AG in spring 2015. He has also served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CASE. Since October 2018, Sajjad Khan has lead the entire CASE organization (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services, Electric).
(Riaz Haq is a Silicon Valley-based Pakistani-American analyst and writer. He blogs at www.riazhaq.com)
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