What
the Governor’s Talking about Today
Tuesday,
January 12, 2010
Governor
Blogs on Huffington Post about NAIAS, Future of the Auto Industry
A
blog from the governor about the North American International Auto Show and the
future of the auto industry appears in today’s edition of The Huffington
Post. The full blog follows; you can also use the following link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-m-granholm/all-eyes-on-detroit-and-m_b_419533.html
All
Eyes on
As
the world turns its gaze to the North American International Auto Show,
The
past year has been grueling. With the auto industry in free fall, we have
the highest unemployment rate in the country. Inside the “Decade from
Hell,” as Time magazine dubbed it, we have just lived through the Year from
Hell.
But
today I went to the auto show. And what a difference a year makes.
The auto show — the workers, the engineers, the designers, the folks who sweep
the floors — were brimming with hope. The worst, we believe, is
over. And the best is yet to come.
Here’s
what was evident: the future of the automobile and the American auto industry
lies with electric vehicles. Electric cars were everywhere on display on
the vast floors of Cobo Hall. And those electric cars will be powered by
advanced batteries. And these advanced batteries and electric vehicles are
going to be made in
Last
week, thanks to Recovery Act funds and the vision of General Motors designers,
engineers and workers, the nation’s first advanced lithium-ion battery for mass
production vehicles rolled off an assembly line in
Then,
today, Ford announced plans to invest an additional $450 million — for a total
of $1 billion — in “vehicle electrification” in
We
all know that electric vehicles will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but
in the former-rust-belt states, it’s all about jobs. Jobs that are
transforming us from “rust to green.” The advanced batteries that power
electric vehicles will produce 40,000 jobs in
Three
years ago,
As a
result of these grants, battery plants are now beginning to sprout up across
Michigan, from GM’s Brownstown plant on the east side of the state to Johnson
Controls’ facility in Holland on the west side. And those plants are now
hiring.
Federal
assistance — from grants to loans to the advanced energy tax credits announced
last Friday — has been crucial to supporting advanced battery and electric
vehicle manufacturing and development. I am deeply grateful to President
Obama, his administration, Congress and in particular the
Despite the job-loss
hell of the past year, we are beginning to see signs of hope in
So
hang on... it’s going to be a great ride.
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