Dear Friends,

As TIME Magazine reported this August, there were only two factories in the United States in 2009 making advanced batteries for the fuel-efficient electric vehicles of the future.

Thanks to the Recovery Act, which I strongly supported, we have created 30 more advanced battery factories across the United States, and 17 of them are in Michigan.  These jobs will expand U.S. production capacity from 1 percent to 20 percent of the global market, supporting half a million plug-in and hybrid vehicles.

What does all of this mean? Expanding the advanced battery industry means jobs, good manufacturing jobs, for the United States and for the state of Michigan, with over 63,000 jobs projected to be created here in this industry over the next decade. The opportunity here is just tremendous.

Just in the 15th District alone, General Motors’ Brownstown factory will employ 120 workers to build battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt. Ultimately, work on the Volt could create 40,000 additional jobs!

At Ford’s Rawsonville plant, work was actually moved from Mexico to our state as part of a $450 million investment in Michigan manufacturing that could create up to 1000 new jobs by 2012.

Ann Arbor advanced battery maker, A123 Systems, is adding workers in Romulus and Livonia to power the electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rolling off our assembly lines. Another Ann Arbor battery firm, Sakti3, is aiming to create the next generation high capacity battery, and is creating 112 jobs at its Michigan headquarters.

While the general economy in Michigan is still far from where it needs to be, these vitally important investments are moving Michiagan forward– creating jobs now and will create even more jobs in the years to come. We don’t want to trade our reliance on foreign oil for a reliance on foreign batteries, and the Recovery Act investments I’ve fought for in our advanced battery industry will ensure a domestic supply base for the fuel-efficient vehicles of tomorrow.

Our work is not finished. We have a fight in the global marketplace ahead. As I write this e-mail, South Korea is investing $20 billion in its advanced battery industry, and other countries are doing the same. They realize the importance of this industry, and we need to do the same. We must do more now to take the lead and stay ahead of the rest of the world on this critical economic opportunity.

In order for the U.S. to succeed, we need to invest in R&D and deployment now in the same way our competitor nations are doing. We have the best minds, the best scientists, and the best workers in the world right here in the U.S. – but we need federal and state governments to continue to work to create the business climate needed to succeed. With the right support, I believe we can cut the price of a hybrid plug-in battery – that currently costs between $10,000 and $12,000 – in half over the next four years, which would help this industry grow even more, creating good jobs in our area.

I strongly support efforts to build an infrastructure to support the use of plug-in vehicles. Thanks to the Recovery Act, the number of U.S. battery charging stations will increase by 3200 percent. We need to do even more. With these charging stations comes jobs of all kinds, and a real marketplace for the next generation of plug-ins coming off American assembly lines. I am also proud that I supported my Michigan colleague and friend Gary Peters’ Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009, which will invest in a number of near-term and long-term vehicle technologies to improve fuel efficiency, support domestic research and manufacturing, and lead to greater consumer choice of vehicle technologies and fuels.

When America needs solutions to national problems, whether it’s bombers built at wartime to vaccines for crippling diseases, Michigan has provided them.  I will continue to fight to protect and grow Michigan manufacturing, because it means good jobs for working families across the 15th District.

We’re redefining the auto industry, right here in Michigan. Let’s keep the momentum going. Help spread the word by forwarding this email to 10 friends today, “liking” my Facebook page and following me on Twitter.

With every good wish,

John Dingell