New Mich. group wants to take driverless-car mantle from Silicon Valley

The new group, MICHauto, unveiled an initiative today to promote Detroit and Michigan for development of a new generation of mobility, including self-driving cars. The coalition includes Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford and General Motors CEO Mary Barra. The effort is a response to Silicon Valley’s growing automotive influence as companies such as Google Inc. and Apple Inc. develop driverless vehicles alongside electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc. Michigan led the U.S. last year in connected-auto projects with 45, to California’s 31, the group said.