From autonomous trucks and EV charging validation to cybersecurity and robotics, ACM’s Ypsilanti Township campus is nearly full and growing
Some of the most consequential testing in the global transportation industry is happening right now on a 500-acre campus outside of Detroit, and most of it, by design, you will never hear about.
That is the confidential nature of the work at the American Center for Mobility (ACM), a nonprofit mobility and technology campus at the historic Willow Run site in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. As ACM marks its 10th year since breaking ground, the facility is operating at 90% occupancy of its 35,430 square feet of leasable space, with more than 200 customers served, 5,596 test hours logged in 2025 alone, and 2026 activity expected to surpass that.
The range of work underway reflects how broadly the definition of mobility has expanded. Customers use ACM’s infrastructure for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and automated vehicle testing, connected vehicle technologies, cybersecurity and secure mobility systems, EV charging and interoperability validation, Class 6 to 8 truck and freight-related testing, autonomous and remotely operated systems, water infrastructure and water main robotics, and ground maintenance robotics. Organizations spanning automotive, commercial vehicle, engineering, logistics, startup, academic, nonprofit, and public sector spaces are all active on campus. More than 90 staff from customer and partner organizations use ACM as an active worksite.
While the identities and programs of most customers remain confidential, the scale of activity speaks for itself. Examples of work that can be publicly referenced include robotics programs from Motmot and Snowbotix. ACM is also supporting significant heavy duty and Class 8 autonomous vehicle activity through major tenant relationships. Behind those examples is a much larger body of work involving major global companies and industry leaders.
“What is happening at ACM today is a reflection of where the entire transportation industry is headed,” said Reuben Sarkar, president and CEO of ACM. “The organizations testing and developing here are solving problems that will define how people and goods move, safely and securely, for decades to come. Michigan is where that work belongs, and ACM exists to make sure it can happen here.”
The impact of that activity extends well beyond the campus. ACM has welcomed more than 50,000 visitors between 2020 and 2025 and hosted 52 events through 2025, with approximately a dozen customer events already planned for 2026. Between 2020 and 2025, ACM hosted 247 tours attended by more than 2,500 people representing 189 companies, along with 36 global delegations and trade associations. Those visitors, from across the country and around the world, stay in local hotels, dine in local restaurants, and contribute directly to the surrounding Ypsilanti-area economy.
“ACM is a powerful example of how investment in infrastructure translates directly into economic impact,” said Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. “The work happening on this campus is driving high-value R&D activity, supporting jobs across multiple sectors, and ensuring that innovation—and the companies and talent behind it — remain anchored in Michigan.”
ACM’s position as a national resource for mobility innovation reflects a broader reality. As the transportation sector undergoes one of the most significant technological transformations in its history, the infrastructure to test, validate, and advance those technologies is not just a competitive advantage but a necessity. The concentration of that capability in Michigan reinforces the state’s role as the center of gravity for the global automotive and mobility industry.
The 2026 calendar reflects the breadth of ACM’s role as a convening destination as well as a testing facility, with events including ACM Demo Day, B.R.A.K.E.S., the CharIN Testival North America, the OmniAir Plugfest, and Ann Arbor SPARK’s Mobility Summit, an a2Tech360 event.
As demand for space and testing capacity continues to grow, ACM is actively evaluating how to accommodate that interest. Ten years in, the organization is focused on what comes next for the campus, for the industry, and for the region it calls home.
