The Future of Mobility Takes Center Stage at Motor Bella
September 28, 2021“Being able to actually experience the vehicle and what it can do is a really exciting opportunity, and it helps connect Motor Bella to today’s automotive consumers,” said Tammy Carnrike, chief operating officer of the Detroit Regional Chamber.
This year’s show felt more like a festival, featuring various activations including:
- Camp Jeep Experience to show off the all-terrain, new electric Jeep Wrangler 4xe.
- Ram TRX Experience, a half-mile course of hills and turns.
- Ford Bronco Off Road Experience to take on Bronco Mountain with a 38-degree incline-decline.
- Ford Mustang Mach-E Experience to get drivers excited about electrification.
“It’s really an intersection of auto shows as we know it, cultural events – like South by Southwest – and also a technology event – like a Consumers Electronics Show,” said Glenn Stevens Jr., executive director of MICHauto.
In addition, Motor Bella kept the focus on mobility, showcasing more than 15 technology and startup exhibits inside the M1 Concourse. Mobility panel discussions and presentations provided attendees with an opportunity to learn about the future of mobility and transportation. Exhibitors included:
- ADASTEC Corp
- Aira Inc.
- APiS North America, LLC
- ai
- CAPSolar Technologies Inc.
- Detect-It
- Eastern Michigan University
- EV Cable Glide, LLC
- FleetLab
- !Important Safety Tech
- NIFTGO
- NIRA Dynamics AB
- Northwood University
- Seoul Robotics
- Shockwave Motors, Inc.
- Square One Education Network
- Tappy Guide
Various major announcements by automotive and technology companies alike came out of this year’s Motor Bella, shifting the industry’s focus to the future of mobility throughout the state.
Major Announcements During Motor Bella
The New Teijin Automotive Technologies
Five organizations – Continental Structural Plastics, Inapal Plásticos, Benet Automotive, CSP Victall, and Teijin Automotive Center Europe – have come together under a single brand to form Teijin Automotive Technologies, a global leader in composite materials and solutions for the worldwide mobility industry. Read more.
The All-New 2022 Toyota Tundra Debuts at Motor Bella
The all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra made its auto show debut at Motor Bella. The briefing was spearheaded by Joe Moses, general manager of Toyota marketing, vehicle marketing, and communications for Toyota Motor North America. Read more.
Motor Bella 2021: Bosch Technologies Support the Continued Proliferation of Electrification
At Motor Bella, Bosch offered a glimpse into the future of mobility through its innovative solutions for sustainable transportation and enhanced safety. This year, Bosch will spend $800 million (700 million euro) on developing electrical mobility solutions, including fuel cells, an increase of nearly 40% over 2020. In North America, Bosch has continued its commitment to its mobility customers by investing more than $250 million in capital expenditures in 2021. Read more.
May Mobility Announces the A2GO Autonomous Shuttle in Ann Arbor
May Mobility, Mcity, and Ann Arbor SPARK, announced the launch of A2GO, an autonomous vehicle shuttle service set to become available to the public on Oct. 11, at the 2021 Motor Bella auto show. The program, which will launch through a free app, will employ four Lexus RX 450h vehicles that will service downtown Ann Arbor, Kerrytown, the University of Michigan Central Campus, and the State Street Corridor. The AV shuttle service was made possible in part to a grant through the mobility efforts of the state of Michigan. Read more.
Lyten Announces Development of Lithium Sulfur Batteries with 3D Graphene
Lyten, an advanced materials company and Department of Defense contractor from California, introduced at Motor Bella its LytCell EV lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery platform. This latest Silicon Valley battery innovation is optimized specifically for the electric vehicle market and is designed to deliver three times the gravimetric energy density of conventional lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Read more.