(WXYZ) — Remember when electric vehicles were all the rage? During the Biden administration, Congress allocated $5 billion to building out a nationwide EV-charging network.
Of that, Michigan was promised $110 million, half of which has already been allocated. The other half is currently in limbo after a memo from the Trump administration paused EV infrastructure deployment plans.
So, I set out to see how the perception around EVs has shifted in both the public and in the auto industry.
I sat down with EV driver Rene Dell and UAW union steward and truck driver Terrance McFadden to understand how much the landscape has changed for real metro Detroiters.
Can you give me a sense of in your mind how much things have changed over the past couple of years?" I asked Dell.
“I feel like the number of EVs on the road continues to increase. And I felt like the number of chargers was increasing. I was seeing more and more chargers. More chargers were popping up on my charging map, and I was hopeful that this was going to trending up northern Michigan. because it’s more remote areas that seem to lack the charging facilities," Dell said. "And so now that it’s come to a halt, I’m wondering what the future of the infrastructure in Michigan is going to look like.”
McFadden delivers parts to auto manufacturing plants and frequently interacts with auto workers. He remembers the early days of the push to ramp up EV manufacturing in Michigan.
“What a lot of those people were feeling was fear because they didn’t know where the market was going," McFadden said.
He says he thinks people will oppose deadlines to buy EVs and he’d like to see the automakers listen to the market when making production decisions.
“I think that as far as importance goes, EVs could potentially be the lifeblood of our city. We’ll just go from the Motor City to the electric Motor City," McFadden said. “Being the Motor City, the world does watch us in terms of vehicles and we have to remain on the cutting edge. And I believe that it really does require the metro Detroit market as well as the state of Michigan to continue to have the infrastructure so that people will invest in the technology, so that people will buy the electric vehicles.”
I also talked to Marrick Masters, a professor of business emeritus at Wayne State University.
Marrick Masters is a professor of business emeritus at Wayne State University.
"We were pretty hot and heavy about EVs a couple years ago. Can you tell me from your perspective how things have changed?" I asked.
“Well I think what has happened is that there has been a rude awakening, if you will. And that companies have realized that the transition to EVs, and this is even before Trump came to office, was not going to be as smooth and rapid as they had thought," he said. "But the train has left the station, in the sense that the future will be EV. Whether it’s a combination in the shorter term of hybrids, plug-in electrical and battery-electrical vehicles."
"Any advice that you would give to Michigan, to Detroit, to the auto manufacturers about how to embrace the future of EVs?" I asked.
“I would advise them to think about how they establish a competitive business without government assistance. And once they do that, they will be in a position to compete anywhere in the world. And until they do that, they’re going to find themselves increasingly at a disadvantage and at the mercy of changes in administration policies," he said.
Glenn Stevens Jr. is the executive director of MichAutoat the Detroit Chamber. They work with all auto industry stakeholders across Michigan and advocate for policy for the industry.
"What changed recently when it comes to the development of EVs?" I asked.
“Well I don’t think that the vehicle companies, suppliers and research institutions have changed the fact that they’re trying to develop better chemistries, better manufacturing processes. But what we do know in DC right now is there’s a tremendous amount of change. And we know that federal funding for electrification projects is in question or on hold or on pause," Stevens said. "We know that the commitments that are going to be made to things like research institutions, that’s a big concern because that’s a huge part of what drives things forward. So I think you’re right, there is a pause so to speak and I think there is some concern there.
He said government support and promotion did have an impact.
“There was a rush. And maybe what we did was get a little bit ahead of what true market demand is. But it hasn’t stopped. Market forces are going to work globally and we do know that the Chinese auto industry, which didn’t exist just the other day, is a global threat to us both around the world and potentially here in North America that we need to be prepared for. And standing still is not an option.”
