In January 2026, the annual Detroit Auto Show returned to Downtown Detroit at Huntington Place. In a series of media interviews and panels, MichAuto’s Executive Director, Glenn Stevens Jr., and multiple MichAuto investors used their expertise to deliver insights into where the mobility industry is going and how the Detroit Region can remain a leader in the industry. Below are must-know takeaways from MichAuto’s coverage at the Auto Show:
How MichAuto Shaped the Conversation at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show
February 10, 2026
Folashade Iposu |
Driving Michigan’s Future as a Mobility Leader Through Education and Workforce Development
“[Washtenaw Community College] WCC’s approach is driven by an “outside‑in” strategy, continuously engaging with employers. This ensures that students’ learning experiences align with both workforce demands and learner aspirations,” Rose Bellanca explained in a mobility panel.
In a discussion with other industry leaders, Rose Bellanca emphasized the importance of aligning education with Michigan’s needs to ensure the state develops and retains skilled talent.
“For the [Office of Future Mobility and Electrification], mobility is very broad as a term,” Justine Johnson said. “It is anything that utilizes clean energy to move people, to move goods, and to move information across verticals like land, water, and air.”
Justine Johnson highlighted the responsibility of the state to prepare and invest in talent for the future of mobility, a rapidly changing industry.
The Essential Economy: Technical Talent for the Auto Industry Future
As skills rapidly evolve to prepare students for the jobs of the future, Jim Sawyer stressed the importance of partnerships with employers to understand their needs, saying, “It’s our responsibility to put the programs together to help address those needs.”
In a discussion about the power in partnerships, Jim Sawyer emphasized thoughtful communication with employers so talent can be equipped with all of the necessary tools that will allow them to be successful in the industry.
Drew Coleman said, “An approach that MichAuto launched a few years ago was You Drive the Future. We want to take real voices of real young people and tell their stories in short form video on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. They can see themselves in these opportunities. They’re going to get more inquisitive, more investigative. And then they’re going to pursue some of these paths.”
While reflecting on the initiatives that leaders are having to take to prepare younger talent for the jobs the Detroit Region has a demand for, Coleman explained that business leaders have an opportunity to meet this generation where they are. By leveraging social media, they can excite the younger generation and pique their interest in the careers they may not have considered before.
Michigan State University President Drives the Start of the Detroit Auto Show with Pete Buttigieg
“Over 1.2 million jobs in our state are tied to the automotive sector, and business leaders like Bill Ford, the executive chair of Ford Motor Company, are counting on America’s leading research universities like MSU to help solve the problem and to help retool the current workforce, while also preparing the younger and next generation.”
In a fireside chat with former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, Kevin Guskiewicz emphasized the importance of connecting industry, academics, and policy to drive a state that is a leader in the mobility sector.
Manufacturing Tech’s Evolution Through AI and Intellectual Property Ownership
“We have lots of apprenticeships that we’re pushing people into to try to get more and more skilled trades and upskilling,” Kevin Douglas said. “Even the people we do have, we have had to do some retraining [from multimeters to IO-links for diagnostics].”
Kevin Douglas was featured in a panel where he highlighted the unique opportunity to adapt to the ways AI is changing the workplace by becoming experts in using as a tool.
The 2026 Detroit Auto Show Sparks Conversation About Collaboration for a More Innovative Industry
“That’s really key, we are all in this together. It’s our city, our town, and this is our industry. We’ve been doing this for 125 years. We have a great place to build from, but the competitive forces are all around us. It’s all about collaboration and us all being on the same page together in Michigan for our industry,” Stevens explained in an interview with WJR 760 AM.
Stevens said that the automotive industry needs to be future focused when conversing about the 2026 Detroit Auto Show and the collaboration of business leaders in every industry to push Detroit forward.
Why SUVs and Pickup Trucks Take Priority Over EVs at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show
“Glenn Stevens [Jr.]“, who heads the Michigan Automotive Industry Association, has his explanation: ‘The challenge currently in the United States is that the adoption of electric vehicles is very slow. And the reason is very simple: consumers need to demand these vehicles, but that’s not the case. But I would say that, overall, the United States is also not where it should be in terms of infrastructure; the charging network is a major issue.”
An unexpected absence of new EV models, announcements, and plans at The Detroit Auto Show can be attributed to the lack of demand for EVs and charging network accessibility in the U.S., according to Stevens.
Glenn Stevens Jr. Shares His Expertise Regarding the Detroit Auto Show and Its Impact on the Industry
Stevens said the 2026 Detroit Auto Show is “for the people. It’s traditional for parents and grandparents to bring their kids down, and it’s something they do for decades together, and then they do it with their kids. The product’s the key, it’s all over the place, and it’s pretty spectacular.”
As the 2026 Detroit Auto Show kicked off in January, Stevens told Ryan Ermanni what attendees should expect and delved into the impact of the growing automotive industry in the city.
Auto Industry Insights With Glenn Stevns Jr. at the Start of 2026 Detroit Auto Show
“We’re not taking a short view; we have a to take a long view. This market is global still, competition is global and Michigan has to have a long view, all our companies do. But we as a state and policy makers have to,” said Stevens.
In lieu of the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, Stevens discussed Michigan’s need to look ahead and not short-term to ensure success and continued leadership in the automotive industry.
Glenn Stevens Jr. on Forging a Path Forward for the Michigan Auto Industry
“Our economy continues to evolve, our auto industry continues to evolve and so what she is doing and [what] many of our leaders are doing is saying ‘we need to have a look at the future’… the auto industry is going to continue to change, clean energy is going to continue to change, advanced manufacturing is going [to continue] to change, so we’re trying to prepare for the future,” said Stevens.
In a radio interview with WPHM, Stevens discussed the new Michigan Economic Transition Strategy, enforced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Stevens emphasized that as the world continues to change in every industry, Michigan needs to keep looking forward.
The Detroit Auto Show Has Been Reestablishing Itself for the Past Couple of Years, 2026 Was No Different
“The layout was very strong; they had a couple more brands this year. Big exhibits form Stellantis, Ford, GM, and Toyota. Of course, the experiential track rides were important. The one thing that was different this year was the emergence of F1. Ford and Cadillac are getting into F1 and that was kind of a big part of the show this year,” said Stevens. “It was truly more than an automotive show.”
Stevens spoke with radio show host Mike Austin to discuss the emergence of Formula 1 (F1) at the Detroit Auto Show this year and the important exhibits put on display this year that reflect a year of transformation for Michigan’s automotive industry.
Reflecting on Where the Automotive Industry Is Headed Following the 2026 Detroit Auto Show
Stevens Jr. said, “Since Jan. 20 of last year, we have been on this roller coaster, and all eyes are on a new, improved USMCA. We hope we get there. The industry needs it. Our trade block is stronger together, and that’s where we hope it ends up.”
In a discussion with Carol Cain on Michigan Matters, the automotive industry is highlighted including the recent 2026 Detroit Auto Show. Stevens specifically spoke to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) renegotiations and its importance to the automotive industry.