Toyota Mobility Foundation Announces Clean Freight Innovators as Detroit Sustainable Cities Challenge Winners
On April 27, 2026, the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) and the city of Detroit unveiled the three winners of the TMF's Sustainable Cities Challenge. This announcement signifies the conclusion of a three-year competition aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions.
The challenge focused on showcasing clean freight transportation solutions in Eastern Market, an important economic hub for Detroit's food industry. The aim was to discover innovative methods to reduce fossil fuel dependencies, transport costs, and to foster cleaner and more efficient goods transportation.
Each of the winners had previously received $180,000 in implementation funding, and will now share an additional $1.5 million to expand their solutions throughout the city. Mayor Mary Sheffield of Detroit expressed gratitude for the TMF, stating, "Great ideas for clean freight transportation technologies have found a home in Detroit, leading to cleaner air and a brighter future for our residents. We appreciate the Toyota Mobility Foundation for choosing Detroit among over 250 cities worldwide. Our residents are enjoying cleaner air, and that supports innovators backed by a city committed to sustainability—and together, we embody Detroit's legacy of innovation."
Ryan Michael, Deputy Director of Business Innovation and Emerging Industries for Detroit, noted, "Globally, the need to advance clean transport technology is evident. Detroit values the partnership with TMF and the Michigan State Emergency Management Office in this vital emerging sector."
According to Vince Keenan, Innovation Engagement Director at the Detroit Mobility Innovation Office, "The Mobility Innovation Office aims to foster great ideas. Whether it’s zero-emission micro-freight solutions that can navigate around traffic to avoid (and prevent) congestion, charging solutions for fleets that allow for recharging in the same time as refueling diesel, or hydrogen solutions that may one day completely eliminate emissions. The SCC has allowed Detroit to test the future of clean freight transport today."
The winning group signifies the birth of a cleaner, more resilient freight transport ecosystem in Eastern Market, with benefits that could extend beyond the city and region. The winners include:
Over three years, the Sustainable Cities Challenge brought together innovators, policymakers, industry leaders, and community representatives to explore sustainable freight transportation methods in Detroit. Through various rounds of challenges and collaborative development, ideas transformed into practical, scalable solutions aimed at fostering a cleaner, more efficient, and resilient freight transport system for the city and its communities.
Detroit, uniquely selected as the only city in the western hemisphere, joins Venice, Italy, and Varanasi, India in the Sustainable Cities Challenge—with TMF investing a total of $9 million to tackle specific mobility challenges in each city. The overarching goal is to promote solutions that enhance quality of life, support economic vitality, and foster more sustainable transportation systems.
Katy Trudeau, President and CEO of Eastern Market, emphasized, "For over a hundred years, Eastern Market has been a place where businesses adapted and grew to feed Detroit. This challenge builds upon that legacy, bringing new ideas and innovations into a real working environment that considers the needs of the people and businesses here daily. These solutions not only show what’s possible; they are helping us move towards a cleaner, more efficient freight transport system that supports our community and can serve as a model for others."
Ryan Klem, Program Director for the Toyota Mobility Foundation, stated, "In close collaboration with the City of Detroit and Eastern Market Corporation, we are thrilled to announce today’s winners and acknowledge the contributions of all innovators involved in bringing this initiative to fruition. Both here in Detroit and around the world, the Toyota Mobility Foundation will continue to promote practical solutions to make communities more sustainable, efficient, and functional."
The Sustainable Cities Challenge is funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation and conducted in collaboration with Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute, highlighting how supporting local innovators can create significant impacts in communities, with the potential to scale solutions to other cities and regions.
The challenge focused on showcasing clean freight transportation solutions in Eastern Market, an important economic hub for Detroit's food industry. The aim was to discover innovative methods to reduce fossil fuel dependencies, transport costs, and to foster cleaner and more efficient goods transportation.
Each of the winners had previously received $180,000 in implementation funding, and will now share an additional $1.5 million to expand their solutions throughout the city. Mayor Mary Sheffield of Detroit expressed gratitude for the TMF, stating, "Great ideas for clean freight transportation technologies have found a home in Detroit, leading to cleaner air and a brighter future for our residents. We appreciate the Toyota Mobility Foundation for choosing Detroit among over 250 cities worldwide. Our residents are enjoying cleaner air, and that supports innovators backed by a city committed to sustainability—and together, we embody Detroit's legacy of innovation."
Ryan Michael, Deputy Director of Business Innovation and Emerging Industries for Detroit, noted, "Globally, the need to advance clean transport technology is evident. Detroit values the partnership with TMF and the Michigan State Emergency Management Office in this vital emerging sector."
According to Vince Keenan, Innovation Engagement Director at the Detroit Mobility Innovation Office, "The Mobility Innovation Office aims to foster great ideas. Whether it’s zero-emission micro-freight solutions that can navigate around traffic to avoid (and prevent) congestion, charging solutions for fleets that allow for recharging in the same time as refueling diesel, or hydrogen solutions that may one day completely eliminate emissions. The SCC has allowed Detroit to test the future of clean freight transport today."
The winning group signifies the birth of a cleaner, more resilient freight transport ecosystem in Eastern Market, with benefits that could extend beyond the city and region. The winners include:
- - Civilized Cycles: Based in Detroit, Civilized Cycles manufactures ultra-light electric cargo vehicles. They are expanding production of their patented Semi-Trike as a practical alternative to gasoline distribution vans. Recently, they sold one Semi-Trike to Grounded EVs, which will be used as a platform to build a small RV. Zachary Schieffelin, co-founder and CEO of Civilized Cycles, emphasized, "The Sustainable Cities Challenge gave us the chance to demonstrate that ultra-light electric cargo vehicles can meet commercial demand. Detroit provided an ideal environment to test and showcase their potential. With this support, we are scaling production and promoting a cleaner, more efficient model for urban cargo transport."
- - ElectricFish Energy Inc: This distributed energy infrastructure company is focused on developing rapid charging solutions for electric vehicles. They've recently launched the 400squared™, a 400 kW fast charger with integrated battery, and are advancing their Turbo Charge program to facilitate implementation in gas stations and fleet centers. Anurag Kamal, co-founder and CEO, stated, "Detroit has shown what can be achieved when public and private enterprises collaborate to develop resilient strategies for critical infrastructure. We are excited to continue working with this forward-thinking city to implement clean mobility solutions and accelerate electrification, serving as a model for future industrial growth and large-scale carbon emission reduction."
- - Neology: This clean energy startup develops systems that can autonomously produce both hydrogen and electricity, useful for demanding applications requiring clean, sustainable energy. After being selected as finalists, Neology conducted over ten live demonstrations around Detroit, generating approximately 300 kWh of clean energy—enough to power an average American home for ten days—and around 20 kilograms of hydrogen from ammonia. Aris Maroonian, founder and CEO of Neology, remarked, "Detroit continues to demonstrate its leadership in industrial innovation. With the backing of the Toyota Mobility Foundation, we can move ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion technology from the prototype phase to implementation, accelerating the city's growing hydrogen ecosystem. We believe scalable and affordable hydrogen solutions will play a key role in the future of mobility."
Over three years, the Sustainable Cities Challenge brought together innovators, policymakers, industry leaders, and community representatives to explore sustainable freight transportation methods in Detroit. Through various rounds of challenges and collaborative development, ideas transformed into practical, scalable solutions aimed at fostering a cleaner, more efficient, and resilient freight transport system for the city and its communities.
Detroit, uniquely selected as the only city in the western hemisphere, joins Venice, Italy, and Varanasi, India in the Sustainable Cities Challenge—with TMF investing a total of $9 million to tackle specific mobility challenges in each city. The overarching goal is to promote solutions that enhance quality of life, support economic vitality, and foster more sustainable transportation systems.
Katy Trudeau, President and CEO of Eastern Market, emphasized, "For over a hundred years, Eastern Market has been a place where businesses adapted and grew to feed Detroit. This challenge builds upon that legacy, bringing new ideas and innovations into a real working environment that considers the needs of the people and businesses here daily. These solutions not only show what’s possible; they are helping us move towards a cleaner, more efficient freight transport system that supports our community and can serve as a model for others."
Ryan Klem, Program Director for the Toyota Mobility Foundation, stated, "In close collaboration with the City of Detroit and Eastern Market Corporation, we are thrilled to announce today’s winners and acknowledge the contributions of all innovators involved in bringing this initiative to fruition. Both here in Detroit and around the world, the Toyota Mobility Foundation will continue to promote practical solutions to make communities more sustainable, efficient, and functional."
The Sustainable Cities Challenge is funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation and conducted in collaboration with Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute, highlighting how supporting local innovators can create significant impacts in communities, with the potential to scale solutions to other cities and regions.
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