Biden Previews a Future Made in America While Touring Michigan Electric Vehicle Facility

Washington, D.C.  –Today, President Joe Biden visited Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle plant in Dearborn, Michigan where he spoke about the once-in-a-generation opportunity to create millions of good-paying union jobs through the investments outlined in the ambitious American Jobs Plan. The plan would put millions of Americans back to work and enable the U.S. to compete in the global economy, by boosting domestic manufacturing capacity, modernizing our infrastructure, and investing in clean energy and advanced manufacturing, including research and development.

“Electrifying one of America’s most iconic vehicles marks a new chapter in American innovation. Electric vehicles are the future, and with President Biden’s American Jobs Plan we can ensure this future is made here in America with union labor,” said Lori Lodes, Climate Power Executive Director. “This is about more than the next generation of vehicles — it’s about creating thousands of new good-paying union jobs, transforming our economy to lead the world in EV manufacturing in a sustainable and responsible way, and providing a cleaner and safer environment for our families and communities.”

The American Jobs Plan, including the investments in clean energy, have broad support from Michiganders. A recent survey conducted by Data for Progress found that 80% of Michiganders support the American Jobs Plan, with 82% approving of investments in Clean energy jobs. Michigan leaders have also widely praised the American Jobs Plan.

Here is more information on clean energy and the opportunities for Michigan to lead on EVs:

• Detroit Can’t Afford To Let China Corner The Market On EVs. Electric vehicles represent the future of the auto industry (the backbone of the U.S. economy), which we can’t afford to cede to China (the world’s largest auto buyer), and Europe (the world leader in EV investment). 
  • Researchers at CSIS warn that if China takes too much of a lead in the electric vehicle market, it will threaten the U.S. ability to compete in this area.
  • The Chinese government, which had already invested $60 billion into electric vehicles before the pandemic, is placing electric vehicles at the center of their coronavirus recovery package with an eye to increase electric vehicles from 5% of the market to 25% in the next 5 years. 
• Clean Energy Investment Means Jobs For Michigan. Building the clean energy economy can help Detroit’s economic recovery by putting even more people to work building clean energy sources, making buildings and homes more energy efficient, and restoring our public lands.
  • Michigan is already home to  113,456 jobs in the clean energy sector, including generating clean renewable energy and improving energy efficiency.
  • Michigan ranks 2nd in the nation for rural clean energy employment. In 2020, Michigan had a total of 22,574 rural clean energy jobs.
  • President Biden’s plan to invest in electric vehicle charging stations and to purchase electric vehicles for government fleets can help jumpstart new manufacturing jobs in Detroit.