We’re No Longer the Motor City, We’re the Mobility State: Here Are Three Myths We’ve Busted

Last year at this time, I was named Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, leading the state’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME). My role is to ensure the state that put the world on wheels over a century ago continues to be a leader in shaping the future of mobility, while improving the safety, accessibility and sustainability of our transportation ecosystem.

My first year in this role has been shaped by sharing countless conversations with people, welcoming new companies and innovators to the state and working to expand what mobility means in Michigan. We’ve made some amazing strides in a year, like debuting a new Mobility Prototype Grant program, introducing our first-ever mobility fellowship program, or hosting our inaugural Mobility Conference next month. But there are still three common misconceptions I still hear when discussing Michigan’s mobility industry:

1.) ? Michigan mobility leadership centers around the auto industry

While the auto industry is an incredibly important part of Michigan’s culture, economy and innovations - we are the top state for auto industry investments, after all - it’s far from being the sole player in our mobility efforts. In fact, Michigan is leading mobility initiatives across land, air and sea.

As the Great Lakes State, shaped by 3,200 miles of freshwater coastline, it’s only natural that Michigan leads in sustainable maritime mobility. Last year, we launched the Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge, a first-of-its-kind program that offers companies the opportunity to apply for assistance to support the decarbonization and electrification of marinas and watercrafts across the state. Not only will this help protect our Great Lakes for generations to come, but it will create a blueprint that can be adapted to fit ports and harbors across North America.

In addition, we recently collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Labor to launch the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing (M3) Initiative, which dedicated significant resources to training workers in critical skills for maritime construction, particularly in maritime welding and machining.

Another area where Michigan excels is aerospace and aviation. Michigan ranks among the top 10 in the nation for aerospace manufacturing attractiveness, as it’s located within 500 miles of about half the U.S. and Canadian population and commerce centers. This past April, Governor Whitmer announced the new Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation (ODAI), which will help grow our prowess in the defense and aerospace industry. Shortly afterward, MDOT and OFME introduced the Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) Activation Fund to develop and deploy AAM technologies and infrastructure that have the potential to drive measurable benefits for all Michiganders. These benefits include advancing Michigan’s climate goals by reducing environmental impact from traditional transportation modes, increasing multi-modal access to services in underserved communities, driving sustainability across critical supply chains and fostering more public-private partnerships. The economic impact of aviation in Michigan is estimated at more than $22 billion annually.

We all know about Michigan’s leadership in ground transportation, but beyond the 26 OEMs and 98 of the top 100 automotive suppliers that call Michigan home, we’ve made exciting strides in the areas of public transit, EV infrastructure, hydrogen and connected roadways over the last year.

2.) ? Carbon-free travel isn’t practical in Michigan

Two of the biggest barriers to widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption are charger access and reliability. Not only are automakers working to combat this concern – with numerous reliable EV options that travel 300+ miles on a single charge – but Michigan is also committed to scaling EV and carbon-free infrastructure throughout the state.

Michigan currently has more than 3,000 public charging ports for EVs, and we plan to grow that number rapidly between now and the end of the decade. Last year alone, we increased the number of public direct-current (DC) fast charging stations by 52%.

I recently drove my own EV, which I’ve named Grayce, from Detroit to Mackinac City in 5.5 hours, with no issue charging along the way. On many of my public charging adventures throughout the state, I've had the pleasure of meeting new EV owners, learned more about new, fantastic EVs on the market, and I even reconnected with a work colleague, by happenstance, at a charging port.

We’re also the first state in the nation to have wireless EV charging available on a roadway through our partnership with Electreon. Through our partnership with the National Parks Service, we're working with companies like Polaris to build the first electric Off-Road Vehicle Charging network for remote areas and national parks. We are committed to deploying the infrastructure to be accessible for all, regardless of whether you are in an urban or rural community or a remote area.

As EV adoption and infrastructure advances, we understand that we must also prepare our electric grid for broader adoption. Our near-term goal is to maintain at least 80% of EV charging off-peak to minimize impacts to the grid. Utilizing funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Michigan’s Grid Resiliency program will help us manage the electric load, while preventing outages and enhancing the grid’s overall resiliency.

3.) ? The tech scene resides on the coasts

To be the leader in mobility, we know we need to ensure Michigan has a tech and advanced manufacturing workforce that is highly skilled, trained and adaptable to the changing needs of the ecosystem. There’s a perception that the top tech jobs reside on the East and West Coast, but I can tell you emphatically that the ‘Fresh Coast’ (i.e. Michigan) has a strong and growing tech scene rivaling areas like Silicon Valley. In fact, Detroit has the second-fastest growing startup ecosystem in the world and was ranked second on the list of Best Venture Capital Ecosystem Worldwide, just behind Dubai in both polls.

Global venture platform Newlab @ Michigan Central recently surpassed 100 member companies. It’s home to some of the brightest minds in the region, working on everything from underground AI robotic shuttles to the safe-scaling of drone operations. Down the street within Wayne State University’s campus is TechTown Detroit, a research and entrepreneurship hub that provides programs, education and resources for early- to growth-stage small businesses.

Yet, this rapidly growing scene isn’t exclusive to Detroit.

Ann Arbor is not only home to one of the top research and technological universities in the world (University of Michigan), but the area also hosts numerous events geared toward helping the startup community. This month alone, Invest360 (Sept. 20) and the Michigan Startup Capital Summit (Sept. 26), will help startups make the connections they need to grow, while fostering new ideas.

If you travel “up north” in the state, you’ll also find a growing tech community in the Grand Traverse Region. Investors have injected millions into 50+ startups in this area. Incubators like 20Fathoms aim to remove barriers while providing the education and resources businesses need to succeed. And every April, Northern Michigan Startup Week brings the community together to celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation.

Throughout the state, MEDC and our partners provide backing that ensures a thriving ecosystem for innovative ideas to flourish.

As I enter my second year in this role, I’m proud of the work my team has accomplished, but it’s also clear we have a lot more work to do. While we’re known as the state that put the world on wheels, our sights are set on expanding our leadership in mobility innovations across land, air and sea – changing perceptions and turning heads along the way.