Ford And Newlab Announce Startups To Pilot New Electric Vehicle Tech

Ford Motor Company and Newlab, a community of experts and innovators applying transformative technology to solve the world's biggest challenges, today announced the five startups that will participate in the inaugural cohort of the Mobility Studio - a new program focused on supporting the advancement of technologies, product collaborations and business models that drive a cleaner transportation future. The program lives within Michigan Central, a new mobility innovation district being developed by Ford. This is the second of two studios opening as part of the partnership announced in 2020 between Newlab and Michigan Central.

As the U.S. looks to invest in infrastructure and build a more sustainable, energy-efficient economy, the electrification of transportation is critical. In its first year, the Mobility Studio will help the companies pilot the development of a range of transformative services and technologies to spur more widespread commercial adoption of electric vehicles. Combining Ford's storied excellence in advancing mobility solutions, especially its plans to bring electric vehicles at scale to customers, with Newlab's collaborative, transformative model of innovation, the Mobility Studio will convene an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, experts and investors to test new technologies in a "sandbox" environment to help electrify commercial fleets across the U.S.

Newlab and Ford selected Autofleet, EVPassport, Fermata Energy, Rhombus Energy Solutions and SparkCharge from a competitive pool of global applicants to participate in the Mobility Studio's first cohort and help address major challenges faced by fleets as they consider transitioning to electric vehicles, such as connected fleet management, supporting drivers at home, multiuse charging hubs and vehicle-to-everything applications.

The Mobility Studio announced an open call for companies developing frontier technologies and novel products to apply to participate in the first cohort. In the coming months, member companies will work closely with Newlab, Ford and industry stakeholders to deploy technologies and services that help make electric vehicle commercial fleets economically and logistically viable - underscoring the growing consensus that building a clean, resilient energy future means rapidly electrifying transportation. While the studio ultimately lives within Michigan Central, the startups in the first cohort will test in different locations across the country.

Michigan Central, a new mobility district under development in Corktown, and Newlab, home to more than 800 engineers, entrepreneurs and inventors applying transformative technologies to things that matter, are working to foster an innovation ecosystem committed to helping shape the future of transportation in a way that benefits everyone. Ford's vision for its Michigan Central development, in Detroit's oldest neighbourhood, is to serve as an open platform for collaboration - drawing the best minds from around the city and around the world to co-create and test mobility solutions on real-world streets, in real-world situations.