Automobili-D, the new 120,000-square-foot mobility exhibition coming to the 2017 North American International Auto Show, will feature close to 50 startups from all over the world.
A NAIAS pressrelease issued Tuesdayannounced the commitment of the companies to showcase their mobility innovations this January thanks to the show's partnership with Detroit's Techstars Mobility. Only two of the selected are from Michigan, the rest are from across the country and overseas, according to officials.
One of the startups that will be present at the event is Civil Maps. The California-based company is working on building a new generation of maps so autonomous vehicles can drive any route safely.
Sam Slaughter, 2017 NAIAS chairman, said in a statement that 90 percent of the startups that will be featured are currently working with automakers and suppliers to push their technologies forward.
Automobili-D which will flood into the atrium of Cobo and an adjacent hall, will have a number of communities focusing on key mobility areas: autonomous driving, connected car technologies, e-mobility, mobility services and urban mobility.
But the event doesn't just stay indoors. The exposition will also include an outdoor test track that will allow media and Industry Day attendees to experience autonomous vehicle technology. The track, according to NAIAS officials, will run in a 1.5 mile closed loop along the Detroit River.
“It’s amazing to see the world-wide response from startups that want to come to Detroit for the 2017 North American International Auto Show. These companies are fueling the innovation that is part of the massive change of the automotive industry shift to the mobility industry. They recognize the importance of being present at the center of the automotive industry: Detroit,” said Ted Serbinski, Managing Director, Techstars Mobility, in a statement.
The exhibition will launch on January 8 and run through the NAIAS Industry Days, which ends on January 12.
