Advocacy News – Updated April 28, 2022
The Michigan Chamber held a joint virtual meeting recently with its Mobility Taskforce and Manufacturers Roundtable to get an update from key stakeholders on top issues facing electric vehicle and mobility market development.
Trevor Pawl, Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, provided a robust presentation on how the state is working to grow its mobility ecosystem and lure new companies into the state to spur growth in this quickly evolving industry. He also mentioned concerns around the potential for job losses as simpler electric vehicles displace more complicated internal combustion engine systems and the auto supplier jobs reliant upon it.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association followed Chief Mobility Officer Pawl and provided a federal update on ‘Buy American’ and ‘Buy America’ rules currently being worked on by several Federal agencies and how it will affect the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). According to NEMA, these provisions will influence the spending of nearly $450 billion in electroindustry investments under the IIJA. The rules offer opportunities and risk to American companies, depending on how American content is defined under the rules and whether value-added qualifications fit into those definitions. NEMA also spoke about the challenges facing electric vehicle and charger manufacturers from increases in the prices of materials (e.g., steel, copper, etc.), as well as kinks in national and international supply chains.
To round out the meeting the Chamber invited Rep. Jack O’Malley, Chair of the House Transportation Committee, to speak about some legislation he is working on to support electric vehicles and better understand how it could affect road funding. He mentioned a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) pilot program that could help understand how electric vehicles change driving habits and road use. Also discussed at high level was how we treat electricity as a fuel for electrified propulsion systems in the future as people increasingly charge vehicles at home overnight as opposed to the gas station pump. He committed to working with Chamber members on bill drafts when he is able to share them.
For more information, contact Mike Alaimo at malaimo@michamber.com.