What will the electric vehicle revolution mean for Detroit?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2022
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ICYMI: PBS NewsHour: What will the electric vehicle revolution mean for Detroit?

LANSING, Mich. – Since taking office, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has made historic investments to build on Michigan’s legendary manufacturing heritage, grow the economy, and position Michigan at the forefront of future mobility. Whether it’s investing in Michigan’s talented workforce to compete for the jobs of the future, building charging infrastructure and cutting costs, or bringing supply chains back to the stranger to Michigan communities, Governor Whitmer will work with anyone and compete with everyone to make Michigan the epicenter of the new electric vehicle (EV) revolution.

What will the electric vehicle revolution mean for Detroit? | PBS NewsTime

Key points:

Detroit and the global auto industry are on the cusp of a radical transformation. How the city and industry navigate the electric vehicle revolution will have implications for Detroit autoworkers, car buyers and residents across the country.

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For many automakers, the shift to electric vehicles means more investment in manufacturing in the United States. For Jeep, building electric vehicles means investing in Detroit, Morrison explained.

The automaker just opened a new Mack Detroit Assembly Complex, which is Detroit’s first new auto assembly plant in nearly 30 years. Along with Jeep’s Jefferson North Assembly plant, these are the only two automotive manufacturing plants located entirely within Detroit’s city limits.

“We employed 3,300 new employees, all Detroiters,” Morrison said. “They are working around the clock building the new Grand Cherokee. And it’s a big facility that’s high tech. It’s a great environment. You go over there and our workers are wearing their Jeep caps and their Jeep backpacks. They are part of the Jeep family.

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The Michigan state government intentionally and strategically uses electric vehicle programs and support to ensure mobility solutions are implemented statewide, specifically targeting areas that have been overlooked in the past or which lag behind the development of neighboring regions.

“A truly inclusive mobility ecosystem must be built as a resource for everyone, not just those who live in high-income or regularly traveled areas, and our state has made a conscious effort to ensure that low-income communities and underserved have the same mobility opportunities as other areas do,” Michigan Mobility Manager Trevor Pawl told the NewsHour, “With EV mobility solutions available, we can better support residents when ‘they move to live, work and play while enabling a greener and more sustainable world.

In early October, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced two new electric vehicle battery projects that she says will bring in nearly $4 billion in capital investment and create nearly 4,500 new jobs in Michigan. According to the governor’s office, these jobs are among 30,000 high-paying auto jobs — from line workers to engineers — that Michigan companies have advertised over the past four years as the state builds on its experience in automotive manufacturing and moving towards mobility and electrification. in the future.

Governor Whitmer’s Accomplishments
Governor Whitmer has helped Michigan build on its mobility heritage and leadership. Since she took office, the state has announced more than 30,000 high-paying auto jobs, with 15,000 auto jobs and $10 billion in investments in the past 12 months alone.

Last year, Governor Whitmer worked across the aisle to enact a historic bipartisan economic development agenda that is helping Michigan win big projects and create thousands of well-paying jobs. In addition to a $7 billion investment from GM, creating and retaining 5,000 jobs, and a $2 billion investment from Ford creating more than 3,200 jobs, Michigan has attracted the following manufacturing investments electric vehicles:

• Gotion, $2.36 billion, 2,350 jobs: The world’s largest battery maker announces a plant in Big Rapids, the largest economic development investment ever made in Northern Michigan.
• Our Next Energy, $1.6 billion, 2,112 jobs: A Novi-based battery manufacturer announces a new factory in Van Buren Township, building a supply chain in Michigan using more sustainable materials.
• LG Energy Solution, $1.7 billion, 1,200 jobs: manufacturer of large lithium-ion polymer battery cells and packs for electric vehicles quintuples the production capacity of its Dutch plant.
• Rivian, $4.6 million, 100 jobs: electric adventure vehicle maker is building a state-of-the-art, high-tech service support operations center in Plymouth.
• Magna, $70.1 million, 304 jobs: A producer of complex structural battery boxes for electric vehicles is building a new factory in St. Clair.
• AKASOL, $40 million, 224 jobs: manufacturer of high-performance lithium-ion battery systems for commercial applications such as buses, commercial, rail and industrial vehicles, ships and boats is building a battery facility in Metro Detroit.
• FLO, $3 million, 133 jobs: An electric vehicle charging solutions company plans to produce 250,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2028 and builds a new facility in Auburn Hills.
• XL Fleet, $1.2 million, 49 jobs: A high-growth commercial vehicle technology company that focuses on the development and production of advanced technologies to convert conventional vehicles into hybrid vehicles establishes an R&D center in Wixom.