The Detroit Auto Show kicked off last week, marking the show’s return to downtown for the first time in three years. With all eyes on the Electric Motor City, President Joe Biden traveled to downtown Detroit to attend the show, where he toured the show floor to see the newest innovations in mobility technology before delivering a speech highlighting EV manufacturing and infrastructure in America.

“You all know I’m a car guy. I’m here because the auto show and these vehicles give me so many reasons to be optimistic about the future,” said President Biden. “No more is that future more evident than right here in Michigan where you’re building the future of the electric vehicle and bringing back U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

Biden also announced that Michigan will be one of 35 states to receive funding to expand EV charging infrastructure as part of a $900 million effort to build chargers across 53,000 miles of U.S. highways.

Other notable Auto Show events included:

• The AutoMobili-D Mobility Match Meetings and Hospitality Room, which connected the startup community with corporate buyers and purchasing agents.
• The Plug and Play pitch competition, which showcased 13 of the industries best early stage and high growth companies. Judged by OEM and Tier 1 supplier top executives, startups were evaluated based on team, level of disruption, impact of solution, and novelty of idea.
• Panel discussions on key mobility initiatives, including Michigan’s University Research Corridor, the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, the Ford Launchpad for Innovation Technologies and Entrepreneurship, as well as the newly-announced MI Future Mobility Plan.

As the transition to electric vehicles continues to accelerate, industry leaders and government officials weigh in on the trends in EV infrastructure, technology and manufacturing that we can expect to see over the next five years, ten years, and beyond. Click below to watch the full video.

Startups took center stage during industry/tech days at the reimagined Detroit Auto Show Sept. 14-15. A dedicated startup exhibition area called AutoMobili-D was prominently featured on the main show floor, signaling startups’ increasing importance in the development of future mobility solutions.

Detroit-based startup Airspace Experience Technologies (ASX) unveiled a prototype of the Sigma Six aircraft at the Detroit Auto Show’s first Air Mobility Experience. The vehicle is designed to elevate cargo and traffic above the existing roadways.

The Sigma Six is a battery-powered electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle that began flight tuning and testing in August. The aircraft’s first tethered flight test was completed earlier in September; it can reach speeds of 150 mph in eight seconds.

Mobility tech company Magna International shared its progress of a novel last-mile delivery robot designed for urban environments at the Detroit Auto Show. The company has been piloting the fully autonomous three-wheeled robot in Detroit since March, where it has been transporting pizzas to nearby customers. The pilot program follows two additional mobility programs the contract manufacturer is already exploring.

Bosch showcased its automated and driverless parking system at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL), which enables vehicles to interact with infrastructure in the garage to autonomously navigate to a parking spot and park. It also enables further interface between infrastructure and mobility concepts through video-as-a-sensor technology where features such as artificial intelligence can power new use cases.

The company also presented a number of solutions to support customers in areas including electrification, vehicle motion, and software at the Detroit Auto Show.