Michigan allocates $130 million for new EV training center

A new center for electric vehicle teaching, training and development is in the works at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus.

The Michigan Electric Vehicle Center is expected to be built in collaboration with the state and university, according to UM spokesman Rick Fitzgerald.

“The creation of the Michigan Electric Vehicle Center will allow the state to leverage the existing resources at U-M and the state’s other educational institutions to focus on the future of electric vehicle technology and workforce development,” Fitzgerald said in an email to Crain’s Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News. “It will be designed to leverage the existing facilities within or near the College of Engineering on North Campus.”

The project’s existence came to light Friday following Michigan lawmakers’ approval of a $77 billion budget that included $1 billion in earmarks. The largest appropriation – $130 million – was made for the new EV training center.

The appropriation will fund “the construction of and programming for” the center, which will be operated by the university, according to a copy of the bill.

“This state investment is critical to solidifying the leadership position of our state — and our nation — in the electric vehicle industry,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said the new EV center aligns with the university’s Battery Lab, Mcity, UM Transportation Research Institute and robotics program, making the university’s College of Engineering “uniquely positioned to lead this statewide effort.”

Further details of the project, including the timetable for construction, were not available.

“While there are many details to be addressed in the coming months, we are confident this new center will be critical to creating the research, technology and highly skilled workforce needed for the rapidly emerging electric vehicle industry, keeping our state at the center of the mobility industry,” Fitzgerald said.