DETROIT – Current Motor Company, a privately held electric motorcycle and solar charging station maker, won the second annual Michigan MobiPrize competition Thursday and a cash prize of $5,000, plus mentorship and networking opportunities.
In addition to electric motorcycle and solar charging station applications, Current Motor has developed a mini-fleet-in-a-box technology comprised of four electric motorcycles nested within a solar charging station and built in batteries for energy storage. Additionally, Current Motor will travel to an award ceremony in New Delhi, India.
The competition was sponsored by NextEnergy and the University of Michigan’s Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility Research and Transportation.
“Current Motor is honored to win the Michigan MobiPrize, and to participate with an elite group of other MobiPrize winners around the globe to bring innovative and more sustainable transportation solutions to market,” said Lauren Flanagan, Current Motor executive chair.
RideHop and RightThereWare received honorary mentions for the Michigan MobiPrize. Detroit-based RideHop’s mobile application provides real-time transportation tracking, allowing drivers and riders to plan their commutes more effectively. RightThereWare has developed optimized multi-stop navigation technology that automatically re-routes drivers as traffic conditions change.
“The Michigan MobiPrize makes a significant impact on the state’s mobility industry by promoting Michigan innovators and connecting them to a global network of other entrepreneurs, as well as to investors and corporate mentors,” said Jean Redfield, president and CEO, NextEnergy. “We are pleased to present this award to Current Motor and look forward to supporting them as they continue to grow and innovate.”
Sponsored by NextEnergy, the Michigan MobiPrize is one in a series of MobiPrize awarded around the globe. Developed by the University of Michigan’s SMART initiative in 2012, MobiPrize was designed to honor entrepreneurial ventures, as well as city, state and national governments that are changing the world through sustainable transportation.
“SMART and the Mobi jurors and advisors from around the world value NextEnergy’s efforts to accelerate mobility innovation and entrepreneurship in Michigan, the automotive epicenter of North America, and the birthplace of Mobi global,” said Sue Zielinski, managing director of SMART at the University of Michigan.
