Michigan lawmakers approve $130 M funding for new EV center in Ann Arbor

Michigan lawmakers recently approved funding for a new EV training center — a total of $130 million. The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus will be the host in collaboration with the state. The appropriation will fund the construction and programming of the training, education, teaching, and development center focused on electric vehicles. In a statement to Crain’s Detroit Business, University of Michigan spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said, “This state investment is critical to solidifying the leadership position of our state — and our nation — in the electric vehicle industry.”

No specific information about the construction plans, though, has been released.

So far, the University is still in the planning stages, but it is underway. According to UM spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald, the partnership between the University and the state of Michigan is strong and will promote the school’s engineering program while also using the school’s extensive resources. Fitzgerald is excited, as the partnership also solidifies the state and the nation’s interest in electrification and increasing EVs presence in the U.S.

There will be a strong connection between the new EV battery lab, the University’s existing Battery Lab, Mcity, UM Transportation Research Institute, and the robotics program. Michigan wants to embrace technological changes as it grows its University’s engineering college to new heights.

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