Can new batteries save Michigan?

Vice President Joe Biden is in Midland, Michigan today. He’s there for the groundbreaking of a new plant that will make advanced batteries for electric and hybrid cars. Michigan’s governor, Jennifer Granholm, says she wants Michigan to be the battery capital of the nation and guide a revival of the state’s economy and the automotive industry. It’s a nice idea, Michigan getting back on its feet finding a growth industry, but what needs to happen for it to work?

We speak with Ann Marie Sastry, CEO and co-founder of Sakti3, a lithium-ion battery company in Michigan. She’s also an engineering professor at the University of Michigan. Plus, we check in on the market for new batteries and new electric and hybrid cars with Dan Sperling, the director of the Institute of Transportation studies and the University of California at Davis. He’s the author of 2 Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability.