Jeffrey Mosher speaks with Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer, Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, his office works across state government, academia, and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, including developing dynamic mobility, and electrification policies and supporting the startup and scale-up of emerging technologies and businesses. He discusses the excitement in returning to the dynamic energy of live events like CAR MBS.
To hear Trevor and Jeffrey’s conversation at CAR MBS, click play on the podcast shared below!
The pair connected for this interview Wednesday, August 4th, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, the first day of the sessions for this year’s Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars.
The day after this interview Trevor was on hand with Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer for this big development coming out of CAR MBS:
Governor Whitmer: Detroit Smart Parking Lab Highlights Michigan’s Leadership in Transportation Solutions
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.– Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the keynote address at the Management Briefing Seminars hosted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR MBS) being held today in Traverse City, reaffirming Michigan’s continued focus on building a stronger state economy through safer, more equitable and environmentally conscious transportation for all Michigan residents.
During her keynote, Governor Whitmer was joined by representatives from Ford Motor Company, Bedrock, and Bosch as well as Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer with the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to announce a new public/private sector collaboration to launch the nation’s first-of-its-kind, real-world test site for parking solutions – the Detroit Smart Parking Lab hosted at Bedrock’s Assembly Garage in Detroit.Bitzer.
“Parallel parking or finding spots in busy, tight structures are some of the most stressful driving situations, which is why Ford invested heavily in innovations such as our parallel parking assistance technology,” said Craig Stephens, director, Controls & Automated Systems, Ford Research, and Advanced Engineering. “The Detroit Smart Parking Lab will help us collaborate with other innovators on even better solutions to make parking easier, so it doesn’t spoil an evening out.”
Today’s announcement builds on last week’s announcement of Michigan Strategic Fund support for Ford’s new global battery center of excellence, securing its location in Romulus and helping to drive momentum as the state continues to emerge as an electric vehicle R&D and manufacturing leader.
“Michigan’s already well underway building the future of roads in the state, and with Detroit Smart Parking Lab we are now taking the lead on creating the future of parking,” said Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer for the state of Michigan. “Working together with partners like Bosch, Bedrock, Ford and the American Center for Mobility we can build a stronger state economy through safer, more equitable and environmentally conscious transportation for all Michigan residents.”
To learn more about the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, and how to get involved, visit www.acmwillowrun.org/detroitsmartparkinglab. Information on innovation grants available to support projects utilizing the lab can be found by visiting the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform at www.michiganbusiness.org/mobility-funding/.
Following the Detroit Smart Parking Lab announcement, Governor Whitmer joined Carla Bailo, President and CEO of CAR for a fireside chat. The conversation highlighted the importance of ensuring Michigan’s workforce is prepared for the talent needs directly related to the continued growth of EV vehicle production and adoption.
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