The 2023 Mackinac Policy Conference is underway at the Grand Hotel on Michigan's Mackinac Island. It's a marquee gathering of political, business, and nonprofit leaders in a state that is home to nearly 19 percent of all U.S. auto production -- more than any state in the nation -- according to the state.
Automotive leaders are among those driving the conversations this week. Bill Ford, Jr. delivered one of the keynote talks and Our Next Energy CEO Mujeeb Ijaz joined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to announce the state’s “Make It In Michigan” economic development plan on Wednesday.
Automotive News Audio Coordinating Producer Jake Neher is at the Grand Hotel speaking with industry leaders and policymakers for the Daily Drive Podcast.
Bill Ford Jr.: 'In our wildest dreams we never thought we'd see our products politicized'
Fri, Jun 2, 3:45 am
Although most automakers are diving head-first into the electric vehicle tide, anti-EV rhetoric is beginning to gain traction as a political tool. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford Jr. bemoaned the politicization of his company's products during a keynote interview at the 2023 Mackinac Policy Conference in Michigan.
Bridgewater Interiors CEO Ron Hall Jr. says DEI has a long way to go in auto industry
Fri, Jun 2, 3:42 am
Auto supplier Bridgewater Interiors was born out of the supplier diversity movement, says CEO Ron Hall, Jr. But he says diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in among suppliers and many other automotive companies face challenges that are insurmountable given their resources.
Macomb County, Mich., leader discusses Ford's shuttered Romeo plant, GM data sharing partnership
Thu, Jun 1, 5:38 pm
There may be no place in the United States as synonymous with automotive manufacturing than Macomb County, Mich. General Motors has its massive Technical Center there and as of 2018 the county was home to 1,600 manufacturing companies employing more than 72,000 people. But in December Ford shuttered its 2.2 million-square-foot Romeo Engine plant in the county.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, talks about plans for that site and what its closure means for the community. He also discusses the county's connected corridors initiatives and its partnership with GM to share that information with the county.
GS3 Global CEO Lisa Lunsford talks supplier challenges, opportunities in 2023
Thu, Jun 1, 1:32 am
While automakers and retailers have enjoyed economic tailwinds and rising profits in recent years, suppliers have been struggling. Low production, inconsistent demand schedules, and material shortages have all taken a bite out of suppliers' bottom lines. While many of those trends are easing in 2023, uncertainty remains.
Lisa Lunsford, CEO of GS3 Global, a Tier 1 manufacturer headquartered in Southeast Michigan, says there are still concerns about materials coming in consistently.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses controversy over Michigan's deals with Chinese companies
Wed, May 31, 11:59 pm
Money is flowing into electrification projects across the country in the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act, and states are battling for those investments. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the state has secured $16 billion in electric vehicle investments in the last year and a half.
Whitmer spoke about the state's economic development plan, and addressed controversy surrounding state incentives for Chinese companies including Gotion and CATL.
Our Next Energy CEO Mujeeb Ijaz talks first product deliveries, plans for growth
Wed, May 31, 11:58 pm
Electric vehicle battery startup Our Next Energy (ONE) has shipped the first of its Aries lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs for use in commercial trucks. The deliveries started last week. It's an important step toward ONE's enormous growth goals as it ramps up construction of a $1.6 billion EV battery cell plant in a Detroit suburb.
