Michigan to Convert GM Plant Complex into Advanced Vehicle Test Center

State and local officials in Michigan are planning a new research and testing center for connected and autonomous vehicle technologies on the site of a former General Motors Co. powertrain complex in Ypsilanti Township.

The 332-acre American Center for Mobility (ACM) would be the largest such complex in the world, according to the group.

The project, which has been under discussion for several years, was accelerated last summer after the University of Michigan opened its “Mcity” testing center for autonomous vehicles in nearby Ann Arbor. The 32-acre campus allows researchers to test self-driving vehicles in a variety of simulated real-world urban road conditions.

The much larger ACM would allow additional testing capabilities, including high-speed tracks, off-road areas and highway overpasses with multilevel interchanges. And more companies, universities and government partners could participate in ACM, notes Doug Rothwell, who heads the Business Leaders for Michigan. He says industry partners already have leased all of Mcity’s available space and fully booked test times there.

The Business Leaders team is working with Gov. Rick Snyder, who mentioned ACM in his State of the State address this week, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and other state agencies on the project. The University of Michigan and Ann Arbor city agencies also are involved.

The group is negotiating to buy the Ypsilanti site from Racer Trust, a government-formed entity that took over its operations after GM emerged from bankruptcy. Racer has nearly completed the demolition of GM’s former Willow Run factory and other buildings that stood on the site. It also is remediating environmental issues caused over the years by the facility's heavy use of chemicals, oils and solvents.

Rothwell estimates it will cost $80 million—including the purchase price—to build the new testing center. Ann Arbor’s Spark development program received a $250,000 federal grant last year to develop plans for the facility. The rest of the funding is expected to come from a mix of federal, state and private contributions.

The goal, Rothwell says, is to break ground on the site later this year. He says it will take two to three years to complete the complex, but parts of it could open sooner as they are finished.

In the meantime, a management team is being set up to run ACM, sign industry partners and coordinate with government agencies. Mcity has 14 top-tier partners, committing $1 million each over three years, and another three dozen second-tier members that pledged $150,000 apiece.