Detroit unveils clean freight tech winners
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Civilized Cycles co-founder Zachary Schieffelin on one of the company's semi-trikes at Eastern Market. Photos: Joe Guillen/Axios
Detroit's winners of a global clean freight challenge were announced Thursday at Eastern Market as part of the city's push to redefine itself as a hub for next-generation mobility.
Why it matters: The winning companies are moving toward broader deployment to help cut local emissions, ease congestion and lower freight costs.
State of play: The companies, all previously profiled by Axios Detroit, tested their technologies at Eastern Market as part of the three-year competition.
- Civilized Cycles: Deploying an electric cargo "semi-trike" to replace some van deliveries.
- ElectricFish: Providing high-speed EV charging that avoids costly grid upgrades.
- Neology: Developing a system for converting ammonia into hydrogen as a source of electricity or heat.
What they're saying: "This is a huge opportunity for us," Civilized Cycles CEO Zachary Schieffelin tells Axios.
- He said the company is working with Bedrock and city officials to expand into downtown, using alleys and tight corridors where trucks struggle.
ElectricFish plans to begin deploying its fast-charging units at Detroit gas stations this year, with a goal of expanding to roughly two dozen locations by next year, the company said.
Follow the money: The winners will split $1.5 million in prize money. Each previously got $180,000 in implementation funds.
Between the lines: Rising diesel costs — and the broader uncertainty around fuel prices — are forcing cities to analyze how goods move.
- "If ever there was a moment to rethink how we power our vehicles and our movement of goods, this is it," Vince Keenan, of the city's office of mobility innovation, said at Thursday's winner announcement.
Zoom out: Detroit was one of just three cities globally selected for the Toyota Mobility Foundation's Sustainable Cities Challenge — alongside Venice, Italy, and Varanasi, India.
- The local winners reflect the city's broader strategy of testing multiple approaches — smaller electric vehicles, faster charging infrastructure and hydrogen — at once rather than betting on a single solution.
The last word: "Big ideas in clean freight technology have found their home in Detroit," Mayor Mary Sheffield said.