The State of Michigan has announced it will receive $18 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) to help small- and medium-sized automotive companies modernize their capabilities to manufacture electric vehicles (EV). This investment allows Michigan to develop a domestic and diversified EV supply chain, retain high-quality, good-paying jobs, meet the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan and support the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of having 50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030.

The DOE has also announced $43 million in funding for projects that will advance research, development, demonstration, and deployment in several areas critical to the future of advanced batteries. The funding will drive innovations in low-cost EV battery electrode, cell, or pack manufacturing; improve battery safety and reduce cascading failures; and strengthen the domestic supply chain of inexpensive and abundant battery materials.

PitchMI ensures momentum on the Growing Michigan Together Council’s strategy to establish Michigan as the innovation hub of the Midwest and America’s scale up state. Michigan is number one in the nation for concentration of engineers and is a top state for patents. Identifying and addressing gaps in the innovation ecosystem will help retain and attract talent, scale companies and create high-paying jobs. The deadline to apply for PitchMI is Monday, Sept. 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Join us at the inaugural MI Future Mobility Conference hosted by the State of Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) on Oct. 24 at Newlab @ Michigan Central. This groundbreaking event will explore the transformative impact of mobility innovation across land, air, and sea on global communities. This conference will convene a diverse audience from across the mobility spectrum, including academia, industry leaders, startups, investors, and public sector partners.

Our Mobility Meetup series is hitting the road in September. Usually held in Detroit, Ann Arbor will take on the meet-up on Sept. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. Mobility meet-ups are organized by OFME, MichAuto, and Plug and Play. The Ann Arbor meetup will be held in the recently opened Bamboo co-working space, in partnership with Ann Arbor SPARK.

2024

• Sept. 9-11: Resilience and Equity in the Clean Energy Sector Summit (RECESS)
• Sept. 18: Mobility Meetup in Ann Arbor
• Sept. 20-27: Ann Arbor SPARK’s a2Tech360
• Sept. 23: Ann Arbor SPARK Mobility Summit
• Sept. 24-26: Forth Roadmap Conference
• Sept. 24-25: Move America
• Oct. 1: Centrepolis C3 Summit
• Oct. 7-10: The Battery Show North America
• Oct. 21-23: Reuters Automotive USA 2024
• Oct. 24: MI Future Mobility Conference
• Nov. 12-13: American Automotive Summit
• Nov. 13-14: CoMotion LA

For One Month, a Driverless Bus Will Service Sleeping Bear Overlook | MLive
In mid-August, an autonomous electric bus will begin a month-long pilot deployment at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as part of a grant to improve accessibility to the parks. The grant was received by ADASTEC, which says the bus will run five days a week taking passengers to the Dune Plateau Overlook, Lake Michigan Overlook, and North Bar Lake Overlook.

Michigan Funds Projects to Build AAM Infrastructure | Aviation Week
Michigan is scaling infrastructure for advanced air mobility in the state with four projects including electric aircraft chargers and drone delivery services. The pilot projects will generate operational data to validate the commercial potential of these solutions.

Electric Boat Company Sets Eyes on Michigan Waters, Tours ‘Arc Sport’ Through State | Up North Live
LA-based waterport company Arc has identified Michigan as an ideal location for testing its electric boat called “Arc Sport” because of the state’s automotive legacy and recreational water sport culture. They brought the craft to northern Michigan to give demos and tours.

Detroit to Launch Free ‘The Connect’ Autonomous Shuttle 2-Way Route Service | Detroit Free Press
Detroit’s free autonomous shuttle service, called "The Connect," began running on its 10.8-mile route on Aug. 13. The shuttle travels from Corktown to the East Jefferson riverfront and back, cutting through Downtown on the way. More innovation is to come, including plans to make the bus fully automated.

• DriveElectric.gov – Information on all federal EV-related news and opportunities
• DOE Bipartisan Infrastructure Funding Opportunities – The latest notices and RFP opportunities for programs related to clean energy and lower carbon emissions
• Elemental Excelerator – Provides funding and in-depth support to promising climate technology startups with social impact potential
• The Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE) – Provides grants and pilot-testing opportunities to companies focused on bringing emerging air travel technology solutions to market
• Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) – A consortium bed by the Detroit Regional Partnership that is designed to help build an inclusive and prosperous 21st-century mobility sector
• H2 Matchmaker – An online resource to help hydrogen suppliers and users identify stakeholders across the supply chain
• MICHauto – Organization that promotes, retains, and grows Michigan’s signature industry as the state’s only automotive and mobility cluster association. View the MICHauto Automobility Asset Map for a look at the 250 locations that are active contributors to the EV industry.
• Michigan Mobility Funding Platform – Test site deployments and real-world deployments 
• Michigan EGLE: Charge Up Michigan – Opportunity to apply for funding 
• Mobility Makers – Community of professionals dedicated to sustainable mobility
• MotorCites National Heritage Area Events – A nonprofit corporation affiliated with the National Park Service that preserves, interprets and promotes the region’s rich automotive and labor heritage
• Plug and Play Tech Center Detroit – Resources for startups looking to reach OEMs and Tier 1 Suppliers
• URBAN-X Accelerator Program – Supports founders building businesses to solve cities’ toughest challenges in areas such as transportation and mobility, the built environment, food, waste and water and the energy grid

Stay connected to the resources dedicated to Michigan’s evolution of transportation mobility and electrification by following @MobilityMI on X and LinkedIn, and by visiting michiganbusiness.org/mobility. Keep up with the latest in mobility ecosystem development and mobility policy at the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) by visiting michiganbusiness.org/ofme.