Nissan Canada President Steve Milette: Cars, Watches, Tokyo, & EV Futures

We recently spent a week travelling around Japan with Nissan, hitting the new Japan Mobility Show to check out the new “Hyper” concepts, touring the brand’s spectacular Heritage Collection museum, and getting a top-secret tour of the brand’s design studio. Steve Milette, president of Nissan Canada Inc., came along for the journey — we took this rare opportunity to grill him on everything from Tokyo hot-spots, to culture shock, his automotive grails, and Nissan’s electric future.

How did you get into cars? Were they a childhood obsession, or more of an unexpected career twist?

I was absolutely meant to be in the automotive business. As a child, I enjoyed drawing cars and I thought I would be a car designer one day, but my artistic skills weren’t matching the ambition. From a young age, both my dad and uncle, who lived across the street, would give me the automotive section of the newspapers they read. I collected pictures of prototypes, and images of supercars, as I was fascinated by design and the sense of motion even when the vehicles were still. I was also fascinated with automotive dealerships; I spent many hours touring lots. One local dealer had a De Tomaso Pantera as part of his personal collection, and I would drool every time it was displayed in the showroom. To this day, I still enjoy touring dealerships (of all makes) to check out new models and to spot best practices in the retail business. I’m not spying on the competition, just doing what I love!

Since becoming president of Nissan Canada, how often do you travel to Japan?

I have been president for almost five years, but half this time was during the pandemic. In normal circumstances, I typically travel to Japan about twice a year. I was very fortunate to spend three weeks in Japan this past May, where I combined both personal vacation time with my wife and time with my global colleagues. This was undoubtedly one of our favourite trips of all time.

Okay, rapid fire: your favourite go-to spots in Tokyo?

There are way too many! I would need an essay, not rapid fire. I love going to the districts of Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku and Ginza. I have probably only discovered 1 per cent of what all these regions have to offer in terms of culinary experiences. When you stay in Tokyo, you realize that is very easy to hit 20,000+ steps a day. You have to walk across Shibuya Square Crossing at peak times. Walking through the Shinjuku area at night to see the 3D billboards and nightlife is fascinating. The main shopping area of Ginza on Sunday’s when they close the main street to cars is amazing. There are thousands of temples and shrines in Tokyo to visit.

Where are you eating in the city?

On my last trip, I started to discover Roppongi a little more as well. That is where the restaurant Gonpachi Nishiazabu is located, rendered famous as it’s where the movie “Kill Bill” was filmed. It’s a cool, traditional Japanese restaurant.

“As a life principle, I enjoy buying quality over quantity for just about everything.”

Steve Milette

I have a few favorite Ramen spots: Ginza Kagari is about a 5-minute walk from the Ginza station. It is in a backstreet alleyway, and it is fantastic; Ichiran Ramen in Shibuya City is also fantastic; I really enjoyed the Shabu-Shabu Tsukada in the new Shibuya Scramble Square. For yakitori, you have to go to Nogiguchi in Shibuya.

My wife had an easy time making friends while in Japan, and one of these ladies introduced us to her son, who just graduated as a Sushi chef and opened his own sushi place — Sushi Sota in Ginza. Like all places in Japan, the service is excellent. 

For the fluffiest cake you have ever had, my favorite is the Taiwanese “Yellow and White” Castella near Shibuya Square. It’s like heaven in your mouth. Finally, you have to go and visit Nissan Crossing while in Ginza where you can view future, current and heritage models of Nissan while drinking a Nissan latte. 

Going to Japan for the first time, what gave you the biggest culture shock?

The biggest shock for me was one of language. The one thing you quickly realize in Japan is that it is super clean, super safe and the people are super courteous. If you ask someone for directions, they won’t point you in the direction, but walk you to the location. At INFINITI, we speak of omotenashi as a brand value, but this concept of hospitality and mindfulness is engrained in the Japanese culture.

What do you collect, obsess over, or get geeky about? Watches? Movies? Clothes?

Honestly, I am not much of a collector. As a life principle, I enjoy buying quality over quantity for just about everything. In clothing, that would mean buying custom-tailored suits, as an example, as opposed to off-the-rack.

I consume an inordinate amount of YouTube content on cars and watches. It doesn’t mean I own all those things, but for some reason, I research them as if I was about to spend all I earn. Recently, I have discovered the many German watchmakers of Glashütte. I enjoy reading about the history of watchmaking from across the world. Brands are built by their heritage and consistency over long periods of time, and I enjoy the parallels to the automotive industry.

From a sport perspective, I love playing hockey. I’m also a Montreal Canadiens fan and my heart has been with them in both good and bad times. 

“It will take a long time before we see true self-driving cars dominate the car park in Toronto and Montreal. Besides, I love driving. I want to keep full control when I choose to.”

Steve Milette

Let’s talk cars for a minute. Big question: When, if ever, do you think we’ll have true self-driving cars — like from sci-fi movies — roaming the roads of Toronto and Montreal?

Today, advanced driver-assistance systems, or ADAS as we call them, are enhancing vehicle safety, improving the driving experience, and reducing the risk of accidents.  We will continue to see significant progress in this area, but it will take a long time before we see true self-driving cars dominate the car park in Toronto and Montreal. Besides, I love driving. I want to keep full control when I choose to and rely on our Nissan Pro Pilot system when [it feels] appropriate.

Your all-time top-5 cars?

That is always a great question. From Ferrari, an Enzo or LaFerrari. From Chevrolet, a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with split window, or a 2024 C8 Z06. From Porsche, a slant nosed 911 (930) or a 918 Spyder. I am fascinated by the micro cars like the original mini-coopers, BMW Isetta and the Nissan kei cars like the SAKURA 100% EV. From Nissan, a Skyline R34 GT-R or a 2024 GT-R Nismo.

At Nissan, we are very fortunate to have a large historic collection of over 500 cars at our Zama plant in Japan. I especially love the history of the Nissan Z,  from the 240Z to the 300 ZX to the current Z and I’m proud that Nissan continues to build a true sports car for everyone.

What’s one thing you wish more people knew about EVs?

Once you go EV, you will never want to go back. I could tell you about the real cost savings of operating an EV, or the fact that if you are fortunate to have a charger at home, you start each day with a full charge. For me, the real benefit is the performance. EVs are silent, smooth, comfortable and they offer impressive acceleration with a very responsive and enjoyable driving experience. 

Nissan was so early out of the gate with an EV, and I know the company has ambitious electrification plans. Can you give SHARP readers a hint at what’s coming?

Recently, we had a very successful Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. We unveiled a new generation of five bold and futuristic EVs, signaling a new era of mobility to deliver on diversified expectations of diversified customers. The five concepts were the Hyper Punk, Hyper Tourer, Hyper Adventure, Hyper Urban, and Hyper Force. This shows Nissan’s commitment to electrification, as announced in our Ambition 2030 plan. Through the power of innovation, Nissan is creating a future where everyone can enjoy the excitement of mobility. INFINITI, our premium brand, we also revealed an advanced all-electric fastback sedan concept, the INFINITI Vision Qe. All that is to say the future is bright; it will be electrified at Nissan and INFINITI, and we are committed to launching 19 EVs globally by 2030.

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