The Institute for State Policy Leaders (ISPL) will once again sponsor the Auto Innovation Academy and has partnered with Auto Innovators to produce the EV Seminar. The ISPL provides state policymakers with a balanced deepdive on complex current and emerging issues that have an impact on state legislation and regulation in the electric vehicle space.

The ISPL 2025 Auto Innovation Academy will be a 2½-day educational seminar exclusively for state policy leaders to learn about the basics of electric vehicle policy and how to build a comprehensive state ecosystem for an electrified future. The Auto Innovation Academy will provide an evenhanded program covering a broad range of issues and will feature some of the most important voices in the electrification arena. This face-to-face seminar will enable policy leaders to equip themselves with the information needed to tackle important developing policy issues, enable them to share best practices, and provide a forum for state policy leaders to dialogue with industry representatives.

3:00 PM Welcome and Introductions  

3:15 PM Session 1: What do we need to know before we start? 

Let’s start with the basics.  Legislators will receive an overview of the ABCs of EV policy and a quick snapshot of the current EV landscape across the country.  Get comfortable with a glossary of terms that will be used throughout the seminar and a broad outline of the state and federal programs that govern this space.

3:45 PM Session 2: Where will we get all the materials for EV batteries?

Building the EV is one thing; powering it with the range, charging capabilities, and resiliency needed for a long lifespan is another.  Hear how manufacturers are growing the domestic supply chain to supply this demand. We will also tackle the role of China and concerns around forced labor in the supply chain. 

4:30 PM Session 3: Where will all these EV batteries go at end of life?

Mining new minerals is only one source for the raw materials used in EV batteries.  Learn how we can build a circular economy and a domestic source of battery critical minerals.

5:30 PM Reception

6:30 PM Dinner

7:15 AM Breakfast Available           

9:00 AM GM Factory ZERO, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center Tour

11:15 AM Session 4: What are consumers saying?

Hear from the front lines of the transition to electric vehicles.  Learn about EV growth in the market and consumer experiences with EVs and where we fit in the global marketplace. Discuss infrastructure, price parity and ways to grow the market through consumer levers.

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Session 5: What is holding up the EV infrastructure build-out?

The vehicles are coming.  Where are they going to charge?  What should policymakers understand about the web of charging infrastructure needed to support this massive change?  Discussion of the role of residential vs. commercial infrastructure and different charging levels and their applications.

1:45 PM Session 6: Where will everyone else charge?

Providing for the infrastructure needs of vehicle owners in the suburbs and exurbs is easy; addressing the unique needs of residents in urban and rural settings is hard.  Learn how state policies can help ensure these communities can also share in the electrified future.

2:30 PM Break

2:45 PM Session 7: Can the utilities generate all this electricity we will need?

If we are all going to plug-in instead of fill-up, where will we get all this needed electricity?  Learn how utilities are planning today for this increased electric load (and AI and data centers) and what is being done to ensure there is sufficient capacity for tomorrow.  Better understand the levers of state policy around permitting and rate design to ensure the electric grid will be ready.

3:30 PM Session 8: Where does this electricity have to go?

Generation is only the first step.  Delivering the electricity when and where it is needed is the bigger challenge.  Hear how (and where) these electricity needs have been identified and predicted, and the steps your state should be taking today to be ready for an electrified tomorrow.

4:00 PM Session 9: Where do hydrogen fuel cell vehicles fit in?        

While most of the focus on the transition to an electrified future has focused on battery electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles that create electricity onboard will also play a big role.  How could fuel cell vehicles help medium and heavy duty electrify?  What fueling infrastructure is needed to support sustainable growth?

4:30 PM Session 10: Will this electrified future also be automated?

Some market watchers presume these two technologies are mutually reliant – are they?  This panel will talk about differences, similarities and how both EVs and AVs will coexist in the automotive future.

6:00    PM Reception

7:00    PM Dinner

7:00 AM Breakfast at Hotel

8:30 AM American Center for Mobility (ACM)

9:00 AM Charging Experience

10:00 AM EV Charge and Drive

11:45 AM Working Lunch

12:00 PM Session 11: What about EV safety?

Considerable media attention has been focused on perceived downsides of the EV transition – from fires; to risks to other roadway users; to damage to the roads themselves.  Hear a thoughtful discussion about the real-world impact of EVs.  What’s real and what’s intended just to sway viewpoints?

12:45 PM Session 12: What can you do in your state today?

Learn how to translate all the information presented into actionable policy.  A discussion of the necessary conditions needed in a state to help support the transition to an electrified future.