Radio Address: Green Auto Industry
In this week’s radio address, Governor Granholm outlines the ways that Michigan’s auto industry will help our state become the leader in the green industrial revolution.
Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
With General Motors, Ford and Chrysler seemingly in the news everyday, it’s hard sometimes to look beyond today’s headlines and envision those companies future. Well, for Michigan’s auto companies, the future looks green.
In Michigan, our auto industry is helping us lead a green industrial revolution. Here are just a few examples:
General Motors will invest up to $700 million dollars to build its future small car at its plants in Orion Township and Pontiac, preserving about 1400 jobs. There was intense competition among the states for these green jobs, but Michigan was the winner. We won because of our amazing workforce, our innovative and creative economic development tools, and strong involvement from the UAW and local communities.
GM will reach another milestone when it rolls out its new electric car, the Chevy Volt, next year. The Volt will run entirely on electricity from a giant battery pack, and, to be on the cutting edge of battery research and development, GM last month unveiled its new Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren.
At Ford, the company was recently awarded almost $6 billion dollars in advanced technology loans by the Obama administration. The money will help Ford retool its plants to produce more fuel efficient vehicles, and in the process, the jobs of thousands of Ford employees, including those at five Ford plants in Michigan – those jobs will be transformed into green engineering and manufacturing jobs. Ford has also accelerated its development of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to add to its line up of traditional hybrids, which run on either gas or electricity.
Chrysler will have at least one electric vehicle in its model line-up for next year. The company plans on offering at least three more electric models by 2013, and Chrysler has set a goal to have 50% of its vehicles capable of running on alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel by 2012.
So the auto industry’s movement to greener vehicles aligns with our ongoing efforts to make Michigan a leader in the new green economy. For example, backed by $700 million dollars in state incentives, by far the most of any state in any country, we’re aggressively working on making Michigan the center for developing and producing advanced batteries for electric vehicles. We want Michigan to be the advanced battery capital of the world.
From advanced batteries, to electric vehicles, to more recycled content in car interiors, the automobile will play a vital role in Michigan’s green economy.
Our auto companies are undergoing difficult and often painful restructuring, but their future is bright…. and green.
Thank you for listening.
Governor Granholm just returned from a 48-hour investment mission to Germany and Belgium, and announced that German battery manufacturer fortu PowerCell will be looking for a site in West Michigan to locate a battery pack manufacturing facility.
“There is no better place in North America than Michigan for an international battery-cell company to expand its global reach,” Granholm said. “We look forward to partnering with fortu as part of our strategic plan to become the advanced battery capital of the world and diversify Michigan’s economy.”
fortu was founded in 1997 to concentrate on battery technology characterized by its high energy per unit of weight, long operational life, and avoidance of environmental concerns relative to its manufacture and disposal. The company has identified several potential market areas, including vehicle, battery back-up systems for cell phone transmitters, power-generation plants and niche recreational vehicles.
While in Belgium, Granholm met with Hansen Transmissions, the world’s second-largest producer of wind energy gearboxes, to pitch Michigan as a possible location for the company’s service and repair facility.
