MOBILITY INNOVATION
Mobility has long been at the heart of Michigan’s spirit of innovation. From groundbreaking startups to established global leaders, this is where people determine what the future of transportation will look like.
Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME)
The OFME’s first Mobility Conference was made possible in part with support from the MEDF. The event connected leaders in mobility tech, public policy, and infrastructure, including Gov. Whitmer.
Lt. Gov. Gilchrist joined the OFME and MDOT at the Mobility Conference to announce the Equitable Mobility Challenge, which will fund projects addressing mobility gaps in education, jobs, health care, food, and social opportunities. The six winners address transportation barriers in underserved areas of the state, particularly for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and veterans.
The event included the Michigan Growth Office’s PitchMI competition, a Shark Tank-style contest in which four startups competed for $100,000 in funding. Civilized Cycles won the capital investment to design and manufacture ultra-light electric vehicles.
Additionally, the OFME has also been regularly hosting Mobility Meetups, supported by the MEDF, to bring together auto tech startups with Michigan’s auto and mobility industry leaders. These sessions showcase cutting-edge thinking and innovation, rooted in Michigan’s rich automotive history, at venues throughout southeast Michigan.
Michigan Central Station
Few projects embody Michigan’s role in shaping the future of mobility like the triumphant redevelopment of Ford’s Michigan Central Station. This century-old landmark, at the center of the Michigan Central Innovation District, has become a cornerstone of Detroit’s innovative future.
Founding partners Ford, Google, and Henry Ford Health Systems have established a 30-acre campus as a technology and cultural hub. Along with Newlab, housed at the adjacent Book Depository building, more than 600 innovators from more than 100 companies are reimagining what’s possible.
Those companies now include EcoG, a Germany-based provider of EV charging stations, which will establish its U.S. headquarters at Michigan Central. The MEDF provided funding for MEDC officials to first meet with EcoG leadership at SelectUSA in 2023, and MEDC staff visited the company’s headquarters in Munich, Germany. Gov. Whitmer was also able to meet with officials from EcoG at the 2023 Detroit Auto Show.
Clean Energy in Transportation
This year, Ford, GM, Honda, Magna, and Toyota announced the Transform: Auto program designed to help suppliers reduce indirect emissions from energy consumption. This program will drive renewable energy across the supply chain through tools such as voluntary green tariffs and onsite and community solar.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Office awarded GM $30 million to expand its domestic fuel cell manufacturing. The new operations will result in better fuel cell reliability and efficiency with lower costs thanks to larger-scale production and technological advancements.
Stellantis unveiled upgrades to the Moving Ground Plane (MGP) wind tunnel at its Michigan R&D facility for real-time data collection and increased automation to boost EV range and reduce battery size for cost and weight savings. Stellantis also announced expansion at three Michigan facilities to support electric and hybrid vehicle production, including the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, which will be the company’s first U.S. plant to build fully EVs.