New facility will manufacture lithium-ion batteries for clients on cutting edge of mobility and electrification, creating over 100 good-paying jobs and doubling company’s workforce in MI by 2023   

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Michigan manufacturer American Battery Solutions Inc. (ABS) for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of their new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Lake Orion. ABS will create more than 100 good-paying jobs and build on Michigan’s leadership in the mobility and electrification space with the new facility. The investment complements the governor’s MI New Economy plan to grow the middle class, support small businesses, and invest in communities and builds on statewide efforts to grow electric vehicle manufacturing and infrastructure in Michigan.    

"I’m proud that American Battery Solutions is growing in Michigan, and I am laser-focused on collaborating with them and so many other innovators to continue creating thousands of good-paying jobs and building up industries of the future,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “We’ve already made several announcements and investments in the mobility and EV space to complement the work underway in the private sector at the state-level, and I look forward to many more. Together, we can write the next era of Michigan’s story—from being the place that put the world on wheels, the arsenal of democracy, the state that built the middle class, the leader in mobility and electrification, to whatever may come next—I am grateful to have partners like ABS as we work together to shape tomorrow.   

“We are delighted to be in Michigan and expanding our operations in the state and see Lake Orion as an ideal location for new capacity to attract the talent we need,” said Chairman and CEO Subhash Dhar. “We are most attracted to Michigan's open business climate, its education system, a long heritage of innovation and excellence, as well as its deep pool of talent and resources in power/battery engineering and complementary disciplines. We see ourselves in strategic partnership with government and business leaders looking to grow and strengthen Michigan's economic base.”   

ABS will invest more than $7 million in their Lake Orion facility in the coming years, creating more than 100 good-paying engineering, manufacturing, and administrative jobs. The company currently has 115 employees in Michigan, and this facility will double their statewide workforce by 2023. ABS will build lithium-ion battery packs in Lake Orion, delivering solutions for their global customers on the cutting edge of mobility and electrification. Their innovative technology will support a range of cutting-edge clients and products. ABS has experienced exponential growth, going from $270,000 in revenue in 2019 to a projected $45 million next year and over $600 million projected by 2026.   

Mobility and Electrification Leadership 

• REV Midwest: Last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined her colleagues in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to collaborate on electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the Midwest region, signing the Regional Electric Vehicle for the Midwest Memorandum of Understanding, or REV Midwest, to collaboratively accelerate electrification.  
• Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle Circuit: Announced at the Mackinac Policy Conference in September, the Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle Circuit delivers on Governor Whitmer’s vision for an electric vehicle route with reliable charging options along Lake Michigan and key tourism clusters. The circuit will be the best clean-energy road trip in American, tying together key coastal and rural communities, state and national parks, and tourism attractions along the Lake Michigan shoreline into a wider electric vehicle infrastructure network. The project will install chargers where needed to meet the demands of high summer utilization and challenging winter weather battery performance constraints.  
• Michigan Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy: The governor announced the Michigan Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy at the Mackinac Policy Conference to continue advancing Michigan's electric vehicle and mobility leadership by ensuring the strong pipeline of talent needed for automotive mobility and electrification career pathways. The administration has remained laser-focused on making sure Michigan workers can access the training and education they need to stay competitive in this new economy. The new academy will position Michigan at the center of that growth by proactively preparing the talent needed for automotive mobility and electrification current, emerging, future jobs and career pathways. 
• Wireless Charging Road: Governor Whitmer announced a new initiative to develop the nation's first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in Michigan. The development of a wireless dynamic charging roadway in Michigan is a step forward in addressing range anxiety and will accelerate the transition to all-electric transit fleets in Michigan, and beyond. 
• Smart Parking Lab: The governor also announced the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, a first-of-its-kind collaborative effort between Ford, Bosch, Bedrock, and the State of Michigan to find innovative solutions to parking challenges and build better parking structures as we transition to clean energy vehicles.   

Auto Industry Leadership 

Michigan is the place that put the world on wheels. Governor Whitmer has built on that rich automotive legacy by creating over 15,000 auto jobs since taking office, including the first new auto plant in Detroit in 30 years.    

Michigan has attracted more than $9 billion in EV-related investment in less than two years:  

• Ford announced a new $250 million investment and 450 direct jobs across three Southeast Michigan facilities to support F-150 Lightning production capacity increase. They are also opening a new global battery center of excellence (Ford Ion Park) in Michigan to accelerate research and development of battery and battery cell technology 
• GM announced the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center to speed up battery production and lower costs. They also located their first fully dedicated electric vehicle assembly plant (GM Factory Zero) in Hamtramck, with a commitment of 2,200 jobs. 
• Stellantis is building JEEP plug-in hybrid models at the first new assembly plant in Detroit in three decades as part of investment that brought 6,433 jobs in Michigan, including for more than 4,100 Detroiters. 
• Semiconductor wafer manufacturer SK Siltron is establishing new facility in Monitor Township to support electric vehicle growth, creating up to 150 jobs, investing $302 million 
• Manufacturers, suppliers, and R&D facilities are also choosing Michigan with XL Fleet opening its new Fleet Electrification Technology Center in Wixom and Magna International building a state-of-the-art facility in St. Clair to support GM’s new GMC Hummer EV.