EV-Related Projects Lead Michigan to $28 Billion in Industrial Manufacturing Projects

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Last week, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) announced global mining and clean-energy company Fortescue (Perth, Australia) has selected Michigan for its first manufacturing facility in the U.S. Industrial Info is tracking $28 billion worth of active and planned Industrial Manufacturing Industry projects in the state. Michigan is at the heart of the U.S. automotive industry, and as such, auto projects account for about 70% of the total investment value--buoyed by the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other components.

Fortescue plans to renovate an existing 410,000-square-foot facility in Detroit, which will become a hub for the company's production of automotive and heavy industry batteries, hydrogen generators, fast chargers, and electrolyzers, according to a January 23 press release from the governor's office. The end products include EV batteries, which will be the first product produced, with the first battery line expected to be installed during the first half of 2025, according to the press release. The project features an initial $35 million investment to refurbish and construct the facility, and "there will also be further significant investments upon full activation of the entire facility." Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can click here for the project report.

The governor's press release said, "The project supports the state's work to position itself as the global leader in future mobility and electric vehicle manufacturing and builds on Michigan's leadership in advanced manufacturing and clean energy."

Industrial Info is tracking major EV-related manufacturing projects underway across the state, including more than $10 billion worth attributed to General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) (GM) (Detroit, Michigan).

GM is at work on projects, which are part of a $4 billion investment, at its 4.3 million-square-foot Lake Orion Automobile Assembly plant in Oakland County. All the projects are expected to wrap up by the end of 2025. They include a new battery pack assembly line addition that will allow GM to manufacture battery cells, modules and packs for its Ultium Cells LLC joint venture with LG Chem (Seoul); the products also will be used in upcoming all-electric GMC, Cadillac and Chevrolet models and GM subsidiary BrightDrop's electric delivery vans for commercial customers. The other projects include expansions of existing buildings: the body shop, to assemble unpainted EVs, and the paint shop. GM also is upgrading the plant so it can be connected to the new paint shop building. Subscribers can click here for the related project reports.

The Ultium Cells joint venture is building a $2.6 billion grassroot battery plant in Lansing, which includes a 2.8 million-square-foot facility to produce 50 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year of battery cells for the Lake Orion assembly plant and other GM EV-assembly plants. Production is planned to begin in late 2024. Click here for the project report.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) (Dearborn, Michigan) has invested $159 million to upgrade its electric powertrain plant in Sterling Heights to increase the production capacity of electric motors and transaxles for hybrid and fully electric vehicles. Click here for more information.

Among the active Industrial Manufacturing Industry projects in Michigan not related to EVs are two data center projects with a combined investment of $1 billion. With a medium probability (70-80%) of moving forward as planned, Switch Incorporated (Las Vegas, Nevada) plans to begin construction in August on the third building at its data center in Grand Rapids, with the completion expected a year later; construction of a fourth building is planned to begin in April 2026. Subscribers can read detailed reports on Building 3 and Building 4.

E-commerce giant Amazon.com Incorporated (NASDAQ:AMZN) (Seattle, Washington) has projects all over the U.S., and Michigan is no exception. The company is constructing a $100 million grassroot fulfillment center in Lansing, which will feature a roughly 1 million-square-foot building with supporting equipment and systems, to increase distribution operations. The project, dubbed Project Spartan, is planned to wrap up in April. A variety of companies have provided project services, including general contractor Gray Construction (Lexington, Kentucky). Click here for more information on the project.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).