Michigan auto plants get federal help to transition to manufacturing electric vehicles | The Michigan Independent
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A battery is lifted into place for installation in the Chevrolet Bolt EV at the General Motors Orion Assembly plant Nov. 4, 2016, in Orion Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

The Department of Energy announced on July 11 that at-risk or shuttered auto manufacturing and assembly facilities in eight states, including Michigan, have received grants that will be used to help with the transition from producing vehicles powered by fossil fuels to producing clean energy vehicles.

“This delivers on my commitment to never give up on the manufacturing communities and workers that were left behind by my predecessor and are now making a comeback with the support of my policies, including the conversion grants my administration is announcing today,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “These grants will help ensure the future of the auto industry is made in America by American union workers.

“I’ll never stop fighting for the American auto industry and American autoworkers,” Biden added.

The Energy Department said the federal support would complement $177 billion in private sector investment in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing that have been announced since Biden took office.

In Michigan, a $500 million grant will go to General Motors’ Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant to retool and refurbish the facility. The company said its production lines will use domestically manufactured batteries as part of its supply chain. The investment will allow GM to retain more than 650 jobs in Lansing while creating 50 new positions. The facility is currently 100% unionized, and GM said it would work with the United Auto Workers to train employees to build electric vehicles.

The other Michigan facility receiving assistance is ZF North America’s facility in Marysville, which will receive a $157.7 million grant to convert a section of ZF’s facility to produce electric vehicle components. ZF said the project would allow it to retain 536 workers at the site, 387 of whom are represented by the UAW.

In addition to Michigan, the department announced funding for facilities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia.

The Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grants program was created by the Inflation Reduction Act that Biden signed into law in 2022. The law is the largest federal investment in combating climate change in American history and is designed to support programs that reduce the use of greenhouse gases.

The legislation passed in Congress with only votes from Democratic members and met unified opposition from Republicans.

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