On a recent trip to Detroit, we spent a few minutes with Tim Grewe, GM’s director of battery cell engineering and electrification strategy. The company has a robust and expanding battery-cell R&D program and testing facility. At the same time, GM announced a new joint venture with LG Chem to build an Ohio-based battery gigafactory with
LANSING—Warren-based Paslin Co. has received a $1 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant to support a $45 million expansion of its Warren manufacturing plant that is expected to create 200 jobs over three years. Paslin started as a small stamping plant in 1937. Today the company designs and builds customized integrated robotic assembly lines to
ANN ARBOR - The automotive and transportation industries are undergoing extraordinary changes in direct response to recent advancements in automation technologies, data analysis, and wireless communication. A major trend in the past ten years has been an emphasis on improving driver safety and efficiency. These new trends and advancements have motivated automakers and their tier
LANSING – Owners of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and all-electric vehicles in Michigan are paying a disproportionate amount of fees under 2015 laws that sought to increase the amount of money dedicated to the state’s transportation system, according to a new report released today. This week the Ecology Center released “Paying their Fair Share: The
AUBURN HILLS—Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US on Monday announced the introduction of the latest version of its in-vehicle information and entertainment system, Uconnect 5. Company officials said the new service offers an unprecedented level of personalization, with several fully customizable interfaces storing up to five different user profiles. Each user can build their own profile, featuring
SAN FRANCISCO - Waymo, the autonomous car and truck technology division of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has begun mapping interstate highways in New Mexico and Texas. The move is seen by many tech observers as a prelude to long-haul evaluation runs of tractor-trailers under autonomous control systems. According to reports in various news outlets, including USA
YPSILANTI - The American Center for Mobility on Tuesday hosted a press conference and luncheon to officially kick off sales for its Technology Park - what the non-profit organization hopes will become a campus for auto and tech companies from around the world developing autonomous vehicles. The new smart campus is still very much a
SOUTHFIELD–American automakers are wrestling with issues of safety systems and distracted driving, while American drivers are in love with their phones and still skeptical about self-driving cars. That was the word Thursday from a panel of experts on automotive safety, at a WWJ Newsradio 950 “Leaders and Innovators” business breakfast held in partnership with Lawrence
SOUTHFIELD—Tier 1 auto supplier Lear Corp. announced an undisclosed investment in Menlo Park, Calif.-based Autotech Ventures to support startups developing new mobility technologies. The investment is being made through Lear Innovation Ventures, which was launched a year ago, to identify advanced development teams and early stage technologies and provide direct capital to innovation initiatives. Autotech
FERNDALE—Bollinger Motors announced it has filed for patent protection for its all electric, all-wheel drive, Class 3 vehicles. The scope of the patent includes the entire vehicle, and gives particular emphasis on the specific arrangement of major components and subsystems. “Our team has created a vehicle that’s engineered and packaged unlike anything ever built,” said
