Michigan already has the North American International Auto Show.
This year, the state will also host The Battery Show. Michigan lured the advanced lithium-ion battery trade show from California.
Of course, this is a trade show, not a consumer show, so unless you have an unusual interest in lithium-ion chemistries, you might want to stick to the Detroit Auto Show for now.
But Eric Shreffler of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation says The Battery Show is still a big deal. Shreffler says companies from around the world will see a “beehive” of activity in electric cars and advanced batteries in Michigan.
"With those companies coming in and getting exposed to what’s already here, I think a lot of them are going to walk away from that, going, ‘we need to be a part of this.'"
The MEDC expects the growing advanced battery industry will create 20-thousand new jobs in Michigan in the next ten years.
The federal government has invested $1.2 billion in advanced battery projects in Michigan alone.
The state of Michigan has awarded $1 billion in tax credits to companies working on lithium-ion batteries.
Those tax credits are awarded only after the company in question meets certain benchmarks, including job creation.
