Nissan will open its Arizona Test Center to Maricopa high school students and their parents April 18, offering a rare look inside the company’s vehicle testing and development process through a new “Next Gen Driver Experience.”
The event targets licensed drivers ages 16 to 19 and is designed to connect local teens with both safe driving technology and potential career paths in the automotive industry.
“This is our home,” said Dusty Pierson, senior engineer for marketability and communications at the Nissan Arizona Test Center. “We’re here in Maricopa. We want to be a community partner, and we want to share what we do.”
The activation stems from Nissan’s broader “Engage Where It Matters” initiative, aimed at building relationships with the community surrounding its 3,000-plus-acre proving grounds. The facility, the only one of its kind for Nissan in North America, plays a role in testing every vehicle sold on the continent before it reaches dealerships.
Students and parents attending the April 18 event will tour the proving grounds, participate in safety demonstrations and test-drive the latest Nissan models on a controlled course. Engineers and technicians will also be on hand to explain how vehicles are developed, from early prototypes to production.
Participants will experience advanced driver-assist systems in real-world scenarios, including demonstrations designed to replicate situations young drivers face, such as navigating crowded school parking lots.
“We want to share our technology. We want to share what we do behind the scenes,” Pierson told InMaricopa. “Because it’s kind of been a big secret out here.”
The event is structured in two waves, each bringing about 25 students and their parents from Maricopa and Desert Sunrise High Schools.
Beyond showcasing vehicle safety features, Nissan is using the event to introduce students to careers in engineering and technical trades. Pierson said the company hopes exposure to the proving grounds will spark interest among students who may not yet have a defined career path.
“These kids are all going to be graduating high school and going off to their next phase of life,” he said. “Why not introduce them to what we have here at Nissan?”
Pierson emphasized that automotive careers remain stable even as artificial intelligence expands across industries.
“Engineering jobs, technician jobs at Nissan are not going away anytime soon,” he said. “AI is an enhancement. It works hand in hand.”
Nissan already partners with colleges and technical programs in Arizona and hires interns and graduates into both engineering and technician roles. The April 18 event is positioned as a first step toward deeper collaboration with Maricopa schools, including potential future involvement in career and technical education programs.
Students interested in working for Nissan would still need postsecondary training, whether through engineering programs or technical certifications.
“You can’t just be a technician working on a car in a garage anymore,” Pierson said. “You’ve really got to go out and get some certification.”
For Nissan, the event also doubles as a chance to connect with future customers in a city without a local dealership, where residents often commute long distances for work and major purchases.
Ultimately, Pierson said the goal is simple: give Maricopa families access to something most people never see.
“It’s a really unique opportunity, if you live here,” he said. “We touch every vehicle that comes to North America.”
