LANSING–State officials have announced the latest round of grant recipients that will promote easier electric vehicle charging through testing and deployments at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL).
Three mobility companies – JouleLabs, Kerb-e and Cron AI – will receive a total of $231,767 in total funding through the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform grant program to enable the testing and validation of their mobility solutions.
Grant recipients will aim to diversify charging infrastructure in parking environments while improving accessibility, safety and security with the following programs:
* JouleLabs will receive $129,827 to deploy an automated and autonomous robotic system for EV charging, which will have a variety of use cases, including supporting ADA parking and charging needs as well as EV charging for fleets.
* Kerb-e will receive $71,000 to test the design and implementation of its curbside charging system. Kerb-e’s goal is to make EV charging equitable and ubiquitous within cities, by developing scalable products that fit on any street.
* Cron AI will receive $30,940 to test and showcase their 3D sensor (lidar) perception software. Utilizing deep learning to deliver previously unseen levels of quality of detection and classification, the company aims to enable autonomy through infrastructure, enhance vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication and improve safety. Vehicle security, pedestrian safety and infrastructure usage analytics are just some of the functions that will be demonstrated.
The latest round of grant recipients have been selected ahead of the state’s celebration of Michigan Mobility Month in September, during which Michigan will celebrate its efforts to create a safer, more sustainable future for all. Through its Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, Michigan is securing investments and building public-private partnerships to develop smart infrastructure and strengthen economic competitiveness in attracting and developing talent.
“As the state that put the world on wheels, we are committed to leading the future of mobility,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release. “During Michigan Mobility Month, we celebrate our efforts to bring manufacturing back home to Michigan from overseas, develop our workforce to meet talent needs, and secure 36,000 auto jobs over the last five years.”
Events celebrating September as Michigan Mobility Month include:
Sept. 5-7: AEROOne: The Future of Aerospace Summit, an Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan event
Sept. 6: Michigan Mobility Meetup, hosted by OFME, MICHauto, and Plug & Play Detroit, and featuring Ann Arbor Spark
Sept. 12-14: The Battery Show, North America’s largest advanced battery event
Sept. 12: Automotive News Congress, a spotlight on Investing in Innovation
Sept. 12: Diverse Founders Mixer, hosted by Plug & Play Detroit and the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council
Sept. 13-14: The Detroit Auto Show Industry, Media, and Technology Days, including Automobili-D featuring 150+ mobility startups
Sept. 13-14: Mobility Global Forum at the Detroit Auto Show
Sept. 13-14: Live Tech Demos at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, which includes free parking and shuttle to and from the Detroit Auto Show
Sept. 14-22: Ann Arbor SPARK’s A2Tech360
Sept. 15: Inforum’s 19th Automotive Breakfast
Sept. 15: The Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview
Sept. 14: Middlecott Sketch Battle, an automotive design sketch battle known as “The Fightclub of Design”
Sept. 16: Auto Show 5k, supporting the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center
Sept. 18-23: Grand Rapids Tech Week
Sept. 19: Ann Arbor Mobility Summit
Sept. 19-21: Thermal Management for EV/HEV USA
Sept. 19-21: Advanced E-Motor Technologies USA
Sept. 20-22: Detroit Homecoming, a celebration of the city by its former residents
Sept. 28: TEDxDetroit, highlighting innovators and ideas across industries
Sept. 28: Women in Mobility Happy Hour
To learn more about how Michigan is leading in transportation mobility and electrification, visit www.michiganbusiness.org/mobility.