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Michigan Mobility and Electrification Report mid October

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Longer Range, Lower Cost: General Motors Invests in Next-Gen Battery Facility in Warren

General Motors announced this week plans for the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center, an all-new facility that will grow the company’s battery technical operations and accelerate development of extended range, more affordable EV batteries. The facility will be located on the campus of GM’s Global Technical Center in Warren.

The announcement builds on several investments from General Motors since January 2020, including:

  • $2.2B in Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant to produce BEVs, creating 2,200 jobs
  • 1,200 jobs at the Lansing Grand River Assembly facility to support the Cadillac CT4 and CT5
  • $100M+ investment in the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant to produce next-gen GMC Acadia
  • $32M investment in the Flint Assembly Plant for Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra production
  • $17M investment in the Romulus propulsion plant to enhance automation and increase capacity of GM’s 10-speed truck transmission
  • $3.5M investment in the Orion Assembly Plant
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Gov. Whitmer Announces Multiple Initiatives to Future-Proof Michigan’s Mobility Ecosystem
 
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At Motor Bella 2021, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced an initiative to develop the nation’s first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in a massive step forward in addressing range anxiety, particularly among and expediting the switch to EVs.

The RFP to design, fund, evaluate, iterate, test, and implement an Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot (IVCP) in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb counties is now open for submissions. The selected partner will work closely with Michigan’s Department of Transportation and Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) to deploy a system to allow buses, shuttles, and vehicle to charge continuously without stopping along a 1-mile stretch of public road. The RFP (Requisition 3524) is posted to eProposal; which can be accessed through MILogin at MILogin for Third Party or at the following link. Proposals are due October 25, 2021. 

 
 
 
 

Just days later at the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference, Governor Whitmer announced two additional initiatives to bolster Michigan’s EV and mobility ecosystem – the Lake Michigan EV Circuit and the MiREV workforce training RFP. The projects aim to further build out critical charging and electrification infrastructure, as well as maintain the state’s strong pipeline for the talent needed for electrified career paths in the space.

The Lake Michigan EV Circuit will tie together coastal cities and rural communities, state and national parks and tourism attractions along the Lake Michigan shoreline into a larger EV network through charging stations strategically placed to meeting high summer utilization and winter weather battery performance challenges.

The Michigan Revolution for Electrification of Vehicles Academies (MiREV) will place Michigan at the center of proactively training the in-state talent for the growing job market in the electrification space. Michigan’s LEO’s Office of Employment and Training and OFME have released a RFP that seeks to identify one or more conveners who can lead this statewide initiative, with applications due November 8. For details on eligibility and to access the RFP visit Michigan.gov/MICA.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Governor Whitmer Joined by Midwest Governors to Grow Region’s EV Infrastructure, Job Market
 
 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer was joined by Governors from Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to announce a collaboration amongst the Midwest states by signing the Regional Electric Vehicle for the Midwest Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The goal of the REV Midwest MOU is collectively further EV adoption and vehicle electrification, and competitively position the Midwest for upcoming federal funding opportunities.

This multi-state compact to develop, operate, and market the Midwest and strategically develop an EV charging infrastructure network that works for the people and industry, leveraging our existing role as a shipping and logistics hub.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The America Center for Mobility and Daimler Trucks North American Come to Three-Year Agreement
 
 

The American Center for Mobility (ACM) and Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) have announced a three-year, $3M partnership to use ACM’s facility in Ypsilanti to bring the company’s latest developments even closer to its customers and dealers.

“ACM’s partnership with DTNA illustrates how our shared-use facility can be used to showcase products to customers,” said Reuben Sarkar, president and CEO of ACM. “Customers can see and experience products first-hand in purpose-built driving environments. ACM is not just a test facility for validating technologies – we are also a product showcase venue.”

The partnership agreement between DTNA and ACM represents the first collaboration with a manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and formalizes a longstanding relationship between ACM and DTNA’s Detroit brand.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Michigan Mobility Funding Platform: Rolling Applications Now Open
 
 

The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have partnered to launch the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform aimed at providing vital grant funding to mobility and electrification companies of all sizes looking to deploy their technology in Michigan. Grants are focused on catalyzing and scaling mobility solutions across three key areas of focus: 

  • Sustainable Futures: Improve environmental sustainability by encouraging electric vehicle adoption and the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure
  • Equitable Futures: Alleviate mobility barriers and increase access to affordable and reliable transportation options
  • Multimodal Transportation: Modernize existing transportation systems and keep Michigan at the forefront across all connected and autonomous transportation modes

Learn more about eligibility for testing environments and real-world deployments, rolling application periods through December 31, 2021, and past grant recipients at the link below.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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