Michigan's auto power players are sounding the alarm that the state's marquee industry could start steering new investment elsewhere if Lansing does not lock in a clear, long-term strategy. At back-to-back roundtables in Southfield yesterday, dozens of executives, suppliers and startups pressed for deeper investment in workforce training, community placemaking and a steadier policy climate for EVs and advanced mobility. Many framed the 2026 governor's race as a make-or-break moment for Michigan's economic future, as MichAuto launched a statewide push to turn those concerns into a single policy roadmap.
Southfield Sessions Turn Up The Heat
Two roundtable discussions at Plante Moran's Southfield offices were part of a 12-session listening tour across six cities designed to feed into a statewide automobility policy roadmap, according to The Detroit News. Participants said that uncertainty around talent programs, local investment and future regulations is already shaping where companies expand and whom they hire. "It's extremely consequential," MichAuto executive director Glenn Stevens told organizers, warning that companies will not hesitate to look beyond Michigan if the state does not back people, places and innovation with consistent support.
MichAuto's Roadmap Tour Hits The Gas
MichAuto, the Detroit Regional Chamber's automotive arm, formally launched its statewide automobility policy roadmap project this spring. The group is rolling out roundtables to gather input from industry leaders and community voices, promising an actionable strategy to keep Michigan competitive for investment and talent as automakers pivot to electrification, automation and new mobility services.
Local firms such as Plante Moran are partnering with MichAuto to host the sessions and help sift through recommendations. The goal is not another glossy report that gathers dust, organizers say, but a playbook that lawmakers, companies and local officials can all point to when the political winds start to shift.
Global Pressures Raise The Stakes
A recent briefing from MichAuto on the State of Automobility flags a series of "forces of change" that demand a coordinated response from Michigan. Automation, artificial intelligence, global competition and evolving trade and regulatory rules are all reshaping where and how vehicles get built.
MichAuto argues the state needs faster talent pipelines and sturdier local supply chains to keep up. The listening tour is meant to turn those big-picture pressures into specific policy ideas around workforce development, site readiness and regulatory certainty that do not shift every election cycle.
Numbers That Keep Leaders Up At Night
The scale of what is at risk is hard to ignore. Michigan's auto and mobility cluster contributes roughly $348 billion in annual economic output and is tied to nearly one in five jobs in the state, according to MichAuto research cited by Bridge Michigan.
MichAuto has also been surveying industry leaders as part of the listening tour. The group expects to release a policy roadmap this summer, ahead of November's governor's race, The Detroit News reports.
What Comes Next
Candidates, sitting lawmakers and economic development officials will be watching closely to see whether the final roadmap lands on a short list of bipartisan priorities, such as stable funding for training programs and incentives that keep battery and EV supply chains in Michigan instead of migrating to rival states.
Industry voices at the Southfield sessions said they are looking for predictable policy that tones down the political whiplash around EVs and talent programs so companies can make multi-year investment decisions with some confidence. If leaders cannot agree on a consistent set of moves, participants warned, Michigan could quickly lose ground to states that are already rolling out the red carpet for new plants, suppliers and high-wage jobs.
