Great Lakes Wire

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced a new plan to grow the state's automotive workforce, provide more accessible transportation infrastructure and develop innovative mobility policies. 

According to a press release, the MI Future Mobility Plan will seek to maintain Michigan's position as a global leader in the automobile industry and support growth in the mobility and electrification sectors.  

"Michigan put the world on wheels, and remaining the global leader in mobility and electrification depends on our ability to work together proactively to address future challenges," Whitmer said, according to the press release. "The MI Future Mobility Plan presents a unified approach and strategy to grow Michigan’s economy, invest in our workforce, and empower communities across the state through responsive policy and programming that prepares us for the future. It includes several goals for us to work towards and brings together partners across state government to get it done. Since I took office, we have announced 25,000 good-paying auto jobs and multi-billion-dollar investments from world-leading companies in electric vehicles, chips, and batteries. We have the momentum, and this plan will help us keep moving forward."

The plan was developed by the governor’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and its Council on Future Mobility and Electrification (CFME).

“Michigan has a long heritage of success in automotive manufacturing and innovation," Trevor Pawl, OFME’s Chief Mobility Officer, said. “As the mobility industry continues to grow and evolve, we are laser-focused on leveraging our state’s talented workforce, ecosystem and available business resources to make Michigan a place where multi-modal mobility solutions are born, and companies can find long-term success and support.”

The plan will include three key pillars including transition and growing the state's mobility industry and workforce, providing safer, greener and more accessible transportation infrastructure and leading the world in mobility and electrification policy and innovation.

“This strategy is a great step forward for our state and its efforts to remain the global leader in mobility,” Glenn Stevens Jr., executive director of MICHauto and vice president of automotive and mobility initiatives at the Detroit Regional Chamber, said. “The honest assessment of the industry’s strengths and areas of opportunity paired with direct action items will bolster the state’s competitiveness through the industry’s ongoing evolution.”