Startups may now apply to exhibit their technologies at the Motor Bella at the AutoMobili-D Showcase on September 21-22 in Pontiac, Michigan. Produced by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, this event allows automakers, suppliers and startups to display their work while making connections with the industry advancing the future of mobility.

Startups interested in exhibiting must apply before July 16 and meet the following requirements:

• Total revenue less than $10M
• Total investment less than $10M
• Less than 8 years old as of June 2021
• May not be an owned subsidiary of a larger corporation
• Must have less than 100 employees

Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, Trevor Pawl, recently spoke with Automotive News about Michigan’s strategy in becoming a leader in the air mobility industry, saying the state has an advantage, but there is still work to be done.

"The near-future approach that we're taking as it relates to aerial mobility is looking at various synergies between what the [automakers] are doing with autonomous, connected, shared and electric and what is possible in the air with those,” Pawl said. Bleeding-edge testing sites and education programs, including the University of Michigan’s M-Air and the Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium, play a vital role in preparing the state’s workforce to welcome air mobility.

Along with its natural advantage, Michigan is also investing in air mobility technologies, promoting industry startups, such as Detroit-based AirSpace Link, and attracting software engineer talent to work towards dominating in aerospace and aerial development.

Seven startups — the first cohort of Ford and Newlab’s Accessible Street’s Studio — will begin piloting their technologies in Detroit this summer in hopes of solving mobility challenges.

With products like EV car-sharing and robot delivery, these companies aim to address problems like pedestrian safety and transportation gaps. The selected companies include Kiwibot, Solartonic, Numina, Kuhmute, Sway Mobility, Soofa and Lazarillo. If their test projects are successful, they may be able to extend them to other parts of Detroit or other cities.

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.

The funding platform is designed to accelerate investment in solutions that create safer, more equitable and environmental conscious transportation for all Michiganders, as well as fostering mobility and electrification companies with high trajectories in Michigan and want to play a key role in the state’s mobility ecosystem. Grants are focused in three primary areas:

• 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

Join Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the American Center for Mobility (ACM) at 10 am on June 25 for a virtual event surrounding the challenges of self-driving cars functioning safely in a variety of weather conditions.

This event will offer a space for those interested in mobility to connect, featuring a panel discussion from Michigan mobility leaders, including ACM President & CEO, Reuben Sarkar, and Michigan Chief Mobility Officer, Trevor Pawl. Speakers will address how engineers are currently tackling self-driving cars in changing weather as well as demonstrate in-field solutions.

• The Startup AutoMobili-D Showcase at Motor Bella – July 16 Deadline
• Michigan Mobility Funding Platform – Test Site Deployments and Real-World Deployments
• Plug and Play Tech Center Detroit powered by AmplifyD – resources for startups looking to reach OEMs and Tier 1 Suppliers
• Michigan EGLE: Charge Up Michigan – Opportunity for funding
• Read the latest from MEDC: Success Stories: AirSpace Link

• June 14-18: Smart Mobility Drives Europe & Eurasia
• June 15: North American International Auto Show: Q’d Up Mobility: The Future Is Now For Electric Vehicles
• June 25: Michigan Mobility Connect CAV Seasonal Tech Demo
• July 29: Ann Arbor SPARK: A2Mobility Tech Meetup: Autaza: The Cutting Edge of Quality Control
• August 4-5: Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars

Teen group's mobility hub plan for Ford connects Corktown to Downtown
Ford Motor Company is helping high school students bring their solutions to improve the way people get around, as the teens launched a mobility hub in Corktown.

On Thursday, a group of winners got to unveil their idea for the Mercy Education Project Mobility Hub located in Roosevelt Park, also in the shadow of the Michigan Central train station in Detroit.

Their pitch included plans for mobility stations with maps, bus schedules, parking information and more. The goal is to create a central location for various modes of transportation, including bike-sharing, scooter, and ride-sharing services.

Consumers Energy offers business rebates for EV chargers
Consumers Energy is offering $3 million in incentives to help businesses statewide switch to carbon-free electric vehicles.

The new PowerMIFleet program will provide rebates to businesses, governments and schools that install electric vehicle chargers and charge overnight through cost-saving use rates. PowerMIFleet offers rebates of up to $5,000 per Level 2 Charge Port, $35,000 per non-public DC Fast Charger and $70,000 per public-use DC Fast Charger.

The company says the program is aimed at furthering Consumers' goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and comes amid a broader shift toward electric vehicles in the automotive industry.

E-bikes, hundreds more scooters launch on Grand Rapids streets
About 150 electrically assisted bikes and 300 more stand-up electric scooters are hitting Grand Rapids streets Friday, June 4.

The new ride options are Lime’s official launch in Grand Rapids as part of the city’s ongoing “micro-mobility” pilot. Lime is a popular micromobility company based in California.

The Lime offerings will join the familiar orange-and-black electric scooters that Ford Motor Company-owned Spin launched on city streets in September 2020 for the pilot.

Ann Arbor-based May Mobility upgrades C-suite, autonomous platform
Many automakers and tech firms are further along than May Mobility Inc. in the research and development of autonomous vehicle technology, but the Ann Arbor-based company claims to be ahead in one key area: making money.

May Mobility isn't profitable yet, but it is making moves to transition from a bootstrapping startup to a viable business, said Edwin Olson, co-founder and CEO. That change in direction was signaled by another big hire late last month. Ryan Green was installed as the company's first chief financial officer after being recruited away from Rivian, the electric truck maker reportedly seeking a $70 billion valuation ahead of an expected IPO.

Green left an EV startup that caught lightning in a bottle to join an AV startup looking for a spark.

Eastern Michigan University Receives $1M Gift from Jack Roush
Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti has received a $1-million gift from Jack Roush to support mathematics and automotive programs at the school’s GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology.

Roush, an EMU alumnus, is chairman of Roush Enterprises in Livonia, and founder, CEO, and co-owner of the Roush Fenway Racing NASCAR team.

“I have a lifelong commitment to learning, and I’ve come full circle, from receiving my master’s degree in scientific mathematics at EMU to founding and chairing a company so heavily committed to technical excellence,” says Roush.