The history of the State of Michigan and the rise of the automotive industry are inextricably linked. The growing popularity of EVs worldwide, however, has led to emerging foreign competitors. As such, the nation that leads the EV evolution will lead the future of the auto industry. Today, attractive tax credits and continued workforce development programs have enabled American automakers to lead a manufacturing renaissance across the American economy – creating good jobs for Americans nationwide, strengthening domestic supply chains, and reinforcing national security in the face of foreign competitors. But unsupportive federal and state policies now threaten to upend this progress, risking disaster for an industry on which the modern foundations of this country have been built.

The Institute for Energy Innovation is now pleased to release Legacy, Innovation, and the Race Against China: The Automotive Industry and the Michigan Economy. This report was completed with help from Michigan EIBC. Seeking to reaffirm Michigan’s historic position as a leader in the automotive industry and mobility innovation, the report includes a discussion on the impact that the automotive industry has on the Michigan economy, how Michigan has benefited from growing EV and battery manufacturing, and the domestic policy decisions that now threaten to unravel this progress and forfeit America’s automotive future to China.

Full report here.

Fact sheet here.

Hear from our Policy Principal, Sophia Schuster, on how the automotive industry drives Michigan’s economy and why rolling back IRA tax credits puts that future at risk.

Watch the full EVHub Live episode with Tom Taylor from Atlas Public Policy and Glenn Stevens from MichAuto here.