42 | JANUARY 26 • 2023
W
hen we look outside of
the United States for new
technology, especially for
mobility technology, there are really
only two places that have the technology
applicable to the use cases that we have
here,
” said Trevor Pawl, chief mobility
officer for the state of Michigan.
“The first is Europe, and the second
is Israel. It’s remarkable that Israel is the
second market because of how small
the country is population wise and
geography wise,
” Pawl said after speaking
at the EcoMotion international mobility
conference in Tel Aviv.
Considering that Detroit is the epicenter
of America’s automotive scene — the
birthplace of vehicle manufacturing, as well
as infrastructure such as traffic lights and
lane markings — it’s significant that the
state is looking to Israel for innovation in
that sector.
While Israelis don’t have a history
of car manufacturing, Pawl said, “they
have a history of software engineering.
”
And that’s key, he said, because “the
automotive industry is being driven by
four foundational platforms: autonomous
technology, electric technology, shared
technology and connected technology.
”
All of which are Israeli areas of expertise.
IN-ROAD CHARGING
One joint project is with Israel-
based Electreon, to build America’s first
wireless charging road for electric vehi-
cles.
“We’re seeing Israeli companies come
in and help us solve problems, but also
help us realize that the horizon for future
technology being integrated into the real
world isn’t as far off as we think. And the
perfect example of that is Electreon,” Pawl
said.
“Once we saw other Electreon deploy-
ments in Sweden and in Israel, we knew
that Electreon was a company that we
wanted to work with in Michigan,” he
added.
“
As transportation infrastructure is
being reinvented and we have money
from the federal government to reinvent
it, we are looking at what else could we
do, aside from creating charging stations,
to help fleet operators transition from
diesel to electric. And one of those things
is not having to wait half an hour at a
charging station,” he explained.
“We believe that Electreon’s technology
will allow for continuous loops for things
like delivery vans and transit vehicles.
We’re deploying the first mile of road that
charges a vehicle as it’s in motion right
here in Detroit, to go live next year. I’m
almost certain that it’s not going to be the
last mile,” he said.
KINETIC CHARGING
Michigan may also do business with ZOOZ
Power (formerly Chakratec), an Israeli
company whose Kinetic Power Booster
(KPB), based on innovative flywheel tech-
nology, can provide ultra-fast charging net-
works for electric vehicles.
“
As we build out our EV charging net-
work in Michigan, where much of the pop-
ulation is in the lower part of the state, we
have some unique challenges with the grid,
”
Pawl said.
“This company has a contraption that is
able to create its own kinetic energy, then
make up the difference in that portion of
BUSINESS
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELECTREON
Road to the Future
Why Israel is driving mobility innovation in Michigan.
ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN JNS.ORG
A delegation from Michigan at the 2022 EcoMotion international mobility conference in Tel Aviv.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHIGAN ISRAEL BUSINESS ACCELERATOR.