DETROIT – The Detroit Smart Parking Lab, a Detroit mobility incubator founded by Bedrock, Bosch, Ford and the State of Michigan, today welcomed four new startups to its portfolio that will operate under the Lab’s recently established team. Autonomous Mobility InitiativeOver the next six months, these startups will leverage more than $250,000 in grant funding awarded through the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform to deploy, test and demonstrate the latest technologies related to autonomous and electric vehicle charging solutions.
“The Detroit Smart Parking Lab fills a critical need in Detroit’s growing mobility scene,” said Kevin Mull, Bedrock’s senior urban strategy and innovation director. “Our goal is to provide a pathway for early-stage entrepreneurs to achieve commercialization and establish their businesses in Detroit. DSPL will give them a real-world environment to test and deploy their technology and expose entrepreneurs to decision-making leaders across the local mobility ecosystem.”
New startups on DSPL include ALBA Robot, AuTowed LLC, ION Dynamics and Joule Labs. These mobility companies will leverage DSPL to:
- ALBA RobotUsing on-demand AV transportation to travel to and from venues such as airports, hospitals, shopping malls, museums and other community areas, we will test and demonstrate how autonomous personal mobility vehicle (PMV) services can bring flexibility and independence to people with disabilities.
- Autowood LLC: Simplify and solve cargo transportation challenges with an autonomous prototype that connects, disconnects, and parks cargo trailers.
- Ion Dynamics: Providing users with on-demand EV charging. ION Dynamics will demonstrate how its autonomous charging bot can reduce the initial installation costs of EV charging by over 50% compared to traditional fixed charging solutions.
- Joule LabThe company will test and prepare for commercialization of its autonomous charging system, establish a permanent base in Michigan and partner with other Detroit energy companies and commercial real estate firms to further deploy fully autonomous charging service stations across the state.
DSPL’s Story
DSPL was launched in 2021 by Bedrock, Bosch, Ford and the State of Michigan, and operated by NextEnergy and Park Rite, providing the nation’s first live test site for emerging parking, mobility and EV charging solutions at 1701 W Lafayette Blvd.
Over the past three years, the lab has hosted 20 startups and provided nearly $1 million in state-led grant funding. These funds, combined with the lab’s assets and networking opportunities, are helping to lay the foundation for a comprehensive Detroit mobility ecosystem that supports companies at every stage of their growth cycle.
“Detroit has a unique ecosystem unlike anywhere in the world, providing comprehensive support to mobility startups regardless of their stage,” said Carolina Pluszczynski, chief operating officer and head of innovation services at Michigan Central. “We’re proud to be a part of ItsElectric’s story as they grow and scale their business, leveraging the knowledge and insights they’ve gained from their experience at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab and delivering real-world solutions with the support of the Michigan Central community.”
ItsElectric first joined the Detroit tech ecosystem in August 2022 after being approved to join DSPL and receiving a grant from the Michigan Mobility Funding Program (MMFP). After an initial deployment period within the DSPL space, the startup secured an additional grant through the DTE Energy Emerging Tech Fund and became the lab’s first graduate. The company has since relocated its headquarters to Michigan Central’s Newlab and secured additional investment for the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations within the city of Detroit.
“DTE is proud to partner with ItsElectric and fund this exciting effort through our Emerging Technology Fund,” said Pina Bennett, director of electric marketing for DTE Energy. “We’re pleased that the 25 chargers installed at no cost to local property owners will soon be available to all EV and plug-in hybrid vehicle drivers. We are committed to strengthening Detroit’s public charger network while making it even easier for EV drivers to live, work and play in Detroit.”
For more information, visit detroitsmartparkinglab.com.
