VIEWPOINT | AUTOMOBILI-D AT THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

Kicking off the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) at Cobo Center in Detroit in January will be a four-day event called AutoMobili-D that highlights the latest advances in connected and self-driving cars. This first-time symposium and expo during the show’s media and industry preview week will include displays, panel discussions, presentations and test track activities involving 100 carmakers, suppliers and start-ups.

The event will focus on the huge technological advances being developed today that will transform personal transportation in the years ahead. The event’s primary sponsor is the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) and its Planet M initiative that highlights the state’s know-how and research capabilities in the advanced mobility space. Kevin Kerrigan, who heads MEDC’s automotive office, describes the symposium and its objectives.

When Does AutoMobili-D begin and end?

The event will start on Sunday, Jan. 8, with a keynote address by John Krafcik, the CEO of Google Inc.’s Self-Driving Car project. It will run through media preview on Monday and Tuesday and continue for the industry preview days on Wednesday and Thursday.

During that period, the expo will be available to the 5,000 expected international journalists and more than 40,000 industry executives. Everything will be removed on Friday, Jan. 13, to make way for NAIAS’s Charity Preview that night and the show’s public days, which will run from Jan. 14 to Jan. 22.

Who will be displaying at the event?

Dozens of dynamic displays will be grouped into five “villages” within AutoMobili-D: autonomous driving, connect-car technologies, e-mobility, mobility services and urban mobility. There will be several major vehicle manufacturers such as General Motors, Nissan and Toyota, along with major suppliers that include Continental, Delphi, Magna, NVIDIA and ZF. There also will be about 50 start-ups, who will be showing some of the most advanced ideas in advanced personal transportation.

What are some other AutoMobili-D features?

A major focal point will be the presentation stage in Cobo Center’s atrium, which will host a series of mini-presentations, panels and other presentations about the many aspects of personal mobility.

Another feature that’s sure to be popular will be AutoMobili-D’s combination of indoor and outdoor test tracks. Here’s where visitors will be able to experience several connectivity and autonomous driving technologies firsthand. We believe this highly engaging combination of displays, presentations and hands-on experiences will generate considerable media coverage for the show. It also will underscore Michigan’s leadership role in bringing advanced mobility ideas and technologies to market.

Isn’t the latter message what Michigan’s Planet M is all about?

Yes, it is. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, the state’s Dept. of Transportation and MEDC launched Planet M in August to generate a movement around the fact that Michigan has the world’s greatest concentration of mobility-related technology, test facilities and design/engineering talent. For more details, please visit www.PlanetM.com.

How does AutoMobili-D support the Detroit auto show itself?

Cars aren’t going away anytime soon. But how we use them is changing in very fundamental ways. NAIAS is one of the world’s top venues for automotive innovation, and AutoMobili-D will extend the show’s vision into the future of personal transportation.