234. Solar Powered Boating on the Great Lakes

SAE Tomorrow Today

With 20 percent of the world's fresh water, Michigan plays a large role in the future of maritime mobility. Recreational boating, commercial shipping, ports, and harbors serve a crucial role in the economic vitality of Michigan’s coastal communities and the Great Lakes.

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That’s why the Michigan Economic Development Corporation recently launched the Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge to help decarbonize the state’s waterways. As part of this grant, Lilypad Labs, a startup based in Holland, Mich., launched the Lilypad, a sharable, 100 percent solar powered boat that provides a quiet, sustainable, and pollution-free boating experience.

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To learn more about the importance of sustainable recreational and commercial boating, we sat down with Justine Johnson, Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Dana Lowell, CEO, Lilypad Labs, to discuss how the public and private sectors are working together to decarbonize the Great Lakes waterways.

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If you’d like to get involved, the Office of the Great Lakes is seeking a maritime strategy for the state of Michigan. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/egle.

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