The Inventors And Big Ideas Trying To Save Detroit From Economic Ruin
In a Nutshell
Detroit's economic revival hinges on innovative startups like Slate's affordable, customizable $20k electric trucks (100k+ orders, production starting 2026) and Grounded RVs' upcycled GM vans for mobile businesses, alongside AI-modernized tool-and-die at Atomic Industries to reshore manufacturing. GM demonstrates serious EV commitment via its Wallace Battery Center's LMR cells enabling 500-mile trucks, Factory Zero's advanced production, and a "Zero Zero Zero" vision, despite past losses and policy shifts. Amid historical auto pride and urban decay, entrepreneurs like Bendy Darosi repurpose factories, fueling hope to re-industrialize the city as "America's Shenzhen."
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
In Detroit, using a 2026 all-electric GMC Sierra AT4 with max range of about 500 miles on a charge, borrowed from GM for the week. Truck has more cameras than ever seen on a car. Shooting entire episode using only the truck's cameras. Truck belongs to GM to prove they can make electric vehicles.
GM's lawyers did not expect the creativity; turned the truck over to Rap Detroit who customized it into Sexy Brexy, the intelligent finance vehicle.
Visiting Slate, hottest automotive startup in Detroit. Revealed electric truck in April: no-frills, partially plastic, very customizable vehicle, meant to start at less than $20,000 (mid-20s brand new, under $20k after current incentives in some states). Over 100,000 orders. Run by Chris Barbin, longtime auto industry exec.
"What if somebody made an affordable vehicle again... basic vehicles that people had and loved that were very durable and very affordable... entry level brand... Plymouth is gone. Pontiac's gone. Saturn's gone. Scion's gone. Average cost of a new vehicle is about $50,000."
Slate is like a chameleon of trucks and SUVs: add SUV kit for 5-passenger SUV. Business model: open-source platform with mechanical/electrical API for customization (e.g., start as 2-passenger, add family seating later for a few thousand). Designed to be wrapped easily (few hours, few hundred dollars). Body and white received, then hang parts. Plastic body panels like Saturn, manual crank windows standard (power windows as accessory), no displays/infotaiment standard. Comes standard with cruise control and air conditioning.
Trump administration tariffs and scrapping of EV sales credits affected sales pitch: previously "starting below $20k with federal incentives"; now state incentives in some states.
Prototypes not drivable by host; prototypes made in Detroit (74 beta prototypes built, more than half for crashing to validate design). Final production at plant in Warsaw, Indiana, starting Q4 2026, ramp to 150,000 units/year by end of 2027. Virtual design, simulation, CAE modeling first.
Sam Shapiro runs Grounded RVs in Corktown neighborhood (oldest in Detroit, cobblestone streets). Take base GM BrightDrop truck and customize for consumers or businesses (e.g., electric camper van, women's health clinic on wheels, mobile pet grooming, mobile podcasting studio). 13,000 ft² facility, fabricating up to 4 vans/month.
Process raw materials: foam insulation, floor material, composite panels, recycled sheets for cabinetry. House electrical system powers interior; computer for usage history, patterns, fleet management, remote diagnostics.
Started at New Lab/Book Depository incubator providing R&D hardware access (autonomous drones/boats, manufacturing startups). General shop, Digifab room (3D printers), electronics prototyping lab, wood shop, metal working shop. Built first three vans there.
New Lab next to old Detroit train station (Michigan Central), restored for $600-700M; Book Depository $300M. Next: hotel on top two floors, courtyard.
Story: Gold clock stolen from station, returned in 2018 by person who took it for safekeeping when Ford announced restoration. Flavor Flav involved anecdote. Clock now on display.
Grounded RV demo: 286-mile range, 5-foot pull-out drawer, outdoor cooking/hiding space, 100% recycled materials, seating for 3-4, shower, indoor kitchen (induction stove, microwave, fridge, sink, hot water), overhead storage, closet, pantry, spice rack, bed (adjustable for bunk beds).
Sam moved to Detroit from near Austin in summer 2022 via New Lab connection; never been to Michigan before. "Couldn't be happier... so much talent here and physical resources, capex, shops, factories... best places to build a hardware startup."
Detroit has beautiful parks, awesome houses, huge urban farms, downtown, magnificent public restrooms. Caught between decaying past and hopeful future.
Hosted second Re-Industrialize conference downtown this summer: ultra-patriotic, aim to make US make stuff again, e.g., "make Detroit into the American Shenzhen."
Conference featured flying boats, defense tech, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey (hologram?), Dell as last US computer manufacturer.
Aaron Slo runs Atomic Industries in Detroit, modernizing tool and die making with AI to bring manufacturing back to US.
Focus: transfer tool and die making trade skill into AI (keystone to mass production: make molds/tools for consistent widget production).
Digitize trade skills to preserve, replicate, scale rapidly for industrial base acceleration. Collection of machines for tools/molds/parts. US mastered in 1940s-60s, died out 70s-80s; now China dominates.
Plan: learn from machines/skilled craftspeople, use software/AI to mimic/improve (faster, cheaper, better). With Lou Young, co-founder:
- Injection molding machines: 1000-ton, 500-ton, 240-ton presses. Sensors in tools for data to train models. Molds for cell phone cases, drone components, plastics.
- Core/cavity block: gap for melted plastic, cooling channels dictate cooling time/quality. Optimizations: gate placement, ejector pins.
- Software goal: one perfect tool design per part geometry; produce parts better/faster/cheaper.
- Optimized conformal cooling water lines follow part shape (not straight holes), requires 3D printing.
- Software designs mold + fabrication strategy (e.g., which machine/cutter).
Evolved from software to factory proving real mold making; next: factory for parts production using their molds.
Challenges: Few entering trade in US (biggest North American tool builder in Canada has 26-27 mold designers; China shops have 60-100). Only hope: software to outscale. Detroit has highest concentration of skill. Lou from Detroit family of mold makers; aim to turn them into "superhumans."
Bendy Darosi, Detroit native entrepreneur/YouTuber, bought factory in 2021. Posted video: bought car factory to fix up/make awesome, gained 100,000 followers overnight.
Four years ago planned to restart for affordable truck; instead filled with Facebook Marketplace finds. Auction August 16th, everything starts at $1.
Break-ins: stole bus batteries ($5-6k), cut battery cable ends for lead scrap ($1 each but $10k damage), catalytic converters. Building 40ft long x 8ft tall battle gate for security.
Balance: exciting internet content vs. actual progress.
Did your parents work in the car industry? One grandpa was a paperwork guy at Detroit Diesel. Grandma was secretary at General Motors. Mom was legal aid at Detroit Diesel. Grandpa's brother put every horn into every 1953 Packard made. He said, "I didn't take a day off. I didn't miss a car." If it's a 1953 Packard, I put that horn in there. There's a deep pride with that.
Detroit was built quickly with the auto boom and then the war boom, which brought even more money. Behind the scenes in a US war plant, the famous American auto assembly line was converted to speed equipment for war. Then 25 years later, everyone gets up and leaves. It's like a hurricane hit the city without water—a financial hurricane. This door tells the whole story. They painted it so people walking from the parking lot wouldn't reach the door before finding out there were no jobs here. Grew up here and watched factories like this close all the time, letting everybody go. Wanted to save one instead of watching another crumble into the earth. Normally someone would whitewash this or turn it into self-storage. Bought it for $700,000—55,000 sq ft, five buildings on 2 to 12 acres of land. It needs everything; 28 years ago, big fire caused smoke damage and wobbly roof parts.
Repurposed Factory and Unique Projects
These signs are navigational signs from Tulsa International Airport, found on government auctions. Have home and business here. Huge taxes, get almost nothing back in city services. Public safety and traffic safety are bad. But where else could a 34-year-old buy a former factory than Detroit? This is where we service buses—buy school buses 8-9 years old, strip them down, and renovate. Built a self-driving fire truck driven by remote control or email (forward, back, left, right). Was a marketing project for a new email service. Drive with remote; made a brain box with servos for self-driving. Mostly marketing to get attention, but cheaper ways exist. Trying to wave a flag to attract right people for innovation. This building encapsulates what Detroit must do: run bus company, fix cars, do YouTube to pay bills amid little local economic activity. Maintenance projects, roof leaks, tarps keep place alive. Feels like being a Detroiter—constantly fighting for survival, where cool things come from necessity, mother of invention. Mountain View's comfort at Google isn't fertile for new, exciting things—got soft. Too much resource makes it hard to be inventive; life's comfortable. Here, can't stay put, must keep moving.
In August 2021, President Joe Biden held an electric vehicle summit at the White House without inviting Elon Musk or Tesla. Later, Biden credited GM with leading the EV revolution: "You electrified the entire automobile industry. I'm serious. You led and it matters." These moves led Musk to publicly embrace Donald Trump. Truth is Tesla reshaped the auto industry and turned electric cars into reality. GM and other American automakers were EV laggards.
Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center on GM's campus in Warren, Michigan, outside Detroit. Scientists and engineers here make the case GM takes EVs very seriously.
Andy's Story and GM's Zero Vision
Andy, battery engineer at General Motors. Had a soul-searching moment: has kids, wants planet better for them, committed to all-electric future. After 10 years in batteries, emailed CEO questioning if GM was serious about EVs and suggesting mission statement relate more to environment. CEO forwarded to communications; a year later, learned of Zero Zero Zero vision: zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion. Around zero emissions, GM has quietly built an electrification powerhouse. Invested nearly $900 million in Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center and adjacent Battery Cell Development Center for full-scale prototype cells at rate. Battery Cell Development Center under construction, will build 100x more cells per week. Investments in gigafactories in Ohio and Tennessee (300,000 cells per day). GM has 13 EV models from small cars to trucks; e.g., massive truck with 500 miles range, fun to drive.
R&D Labs and Testing
Deep in R&D labs, surrounded by blue test chambers for battery packs. Test above/below Earth surface temperatures, humidity from desert dry to rainforest wet. Packs big and small, including Corvette's. Hot and humid chamber simulates Miami's hottest, wettest week—torture chamber.
Battery Technology Evolution
Table shows cell evolution: EV1 late '90s with lead-acid batteries (<100 miles range); late '90s/early 2000s nickel-metal hydride in hybrids like Prius; first-gen lithium-ion in Chevrolet Bolt (238 miles range in 2018?); current LMR cell (lithium manganese rich) for trucks >400 miles range. Dropped battery cost by factor of 10 ($/kWh).
Mega Shaker Room
Mega shaker room (three sizes: medium, large, mega); dug out foundation, poured separate one so it wouldn't shake building. Like testing small satellites. Exciting for full-size prototype battery cells—most can't do that, GM can. Fundamental research from elemental level to packs and vehicles. Partners like LG, Samsung, but GM does much in-house. LMR strategy: affordable EVs, game-changer for trucks (>400 miles range at affordable price). Early batteries homogeneous particles; now state-of-the-art has cobalt-rich shell, nickel-rich core. Nickel, manganese, cobalt—cobalt most expensive, then nickel, manganese least. Last 10 years: drove down cobalt, up nickel for higher energy density, lower cost. LMR switches: down nickel, up manganese.
Intense Lab Tours
Precipitation reactor synthesizes CAM material for targeted performance. Various labs with equipment: electrode testing at certain temperatures; 5 nanometers sample exchange chamber; 124°C area; 50-100 nanometers; machine learning/AI; third electrode; cook like lasagna; surface area; chemical vapor deposition; electron beam; 5% humidity at certain rate; modeling algorithms.
GM's Factory Zero on Detroit's edge builds Hummer EV truck/SUV, Silverado truck, GMC truck, Cadillac Escalade EV. Nick guided through robotic wonderland.
- Cells into mini stacks, then soft stacks.
- Robot picks soft stack to compression unit, intensive electrical test.
- Welded with spiral welds (copper golden, others aluminum).
- Surrounded by moving battery packs on AGCs (automated guided vehicles).
- Load modules two at a time, barcode scanned.
- Tighten down.
- Godzilla robot (biggest Fanuc makes): takes finished pack off cart, loads empty tray—start and end of pack mainline.
Drove electric Hummer right off the line.
GM recorded $7.1 billion loss from underperforming battery factories and EV lines. Sales slumped partly due to Trump cutting EV rebates; Americans less into EVs than hoped. GM committed long-term. Real effort underway. Andy true believer: plan for North American battery manufacturing independence, resilient from mines/materials processing to cells to vehicles. Remains skeptical but open to being proven wrong.
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