Detroit announces finalists for $3 million Global Challenge to innovate Eastern Market

The only US city selected for the Toyota Mobility Foundation’s Sustainable Cities Challenge, Detroit focusing on reducing emissions associated with its historic food distribution hub, Eastern Market.
Four finalists include innovators in electric semi-trikes, hydrogen power, micro-logistics, fleet electrification, and fast-charging battery systems.
Each team will receive $130K in implementation funding to pilot their solutions in Eastern Market, with the potential for scalable, citywide impact.
Challenge winner to be selected early next year

Mayor Duggan today announced the finalists advancing to the final round of Toyota Mobility Foundation’s Sustainable Cities Challenge in Detroit’s Eastern Market. The global challenge—developed in partnership with the City of Detroit, Eastern Market Challenge Works, and the World Resources Institute—attracted submissions from innovators around the world. Their shared goal: to promote clean freight solutions in Detroit’s essential, historic food distribution hub.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Toyota Mobility Foundation for selecting Detroit and its culture of innovation as the only recipient in the United States to be a part of its Sustainable Cities Challenge,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “Eastern Market moves the food Detroiters need every day. Thanks to the Foundation, Detroit can help to pioneer solutions to lessen the environmental impact of this important commerce.”

Selected by a panel of expert judges, these four finalists were chosen for their forward-thinking solutions to improve freight movement in Detroit’s Eastern Market. In Round 1, each of the 10 semifinalists received $50,000 to refine their concepts. With today’s announcement, each of the four finalists will receive $130,000 in Round 2 implementation funding to pilot their solutions in real-world conditions. A final award—comprising the remainder of the $3 million in total funding—will be granted to one or more of the finalists in early 2026, completing Round 3 of the Toyota Mobility Foundation Sustainable Cities Challenge.

From the original entries, ten semi-finalists were selected to refine their solutions over a six-month period. The judging panel, bringing together expertise in freight, mobility, and sustainability alongside deep knowledge of local business and community needs, selected the following finalists:

Civilized Cycles – Civilized Cycles is a Detroit-based design and engineering company that manufactures light electric vehicles (semi-trikes) for urban freight and cargo delivery. The team’s solutions seek to use semi-trikes to replace gas-powered options in city environments, offering sustainable and efficient mobility solutions.
ElectricFish Energy Inc – ElectricFish is a climate-tech company developing distributed energy infrastructure that combines battery storage with DC fast-charging capabilities for electric vehicles. The team’s solution aims to leverage this infrastructure to build systems designed to reduce strain on the grid, lower energy costs, and provide backup power during outages.
Neology – Neology is a Swiss clean technology startup aiming to develop systems that produce hydrogen and electricity on demand. These energy solutions are adaptable for use in construction, urban environments, remote sites, and other areas where clean, off-grid power is needed.
Orange Sparkle Ball Inc – Orange Sparkle Ball is an innovation accelerator that collaborates with organizations to scale impact-driven solutions. The team is developing a data-powered micro-logistics platform which aims to streamline first- and last-mile freight delivery and enhance local logistics efficiency.

These finalists have been chosen to advance based on criteria including innovation in freight, reduction of fossil fuel use, scalability, technological maturity, potential to scale, and team capacity. Judges looked for solutions that could reduce fossil fuel use while demonstrating a strong understanding of local needs and implementation of feasibility. Each team was required to present a clear demonstration plan with measurable KPIs to support long-term impact and scalability.

“These finalists bring an exciting mix of complementary innovations and practicality, with solutions that aim to show demonstrable impact in Detroit's Eastern Market, said Ryan Klem, Program Director at the Toyota Mobility Foundation. “Their work provides an opportunity to show incremental steps towards sustainable, people-centered freight systems globally."

“The Sustainable Cities Challenge has already had a positive ripple effect. Local innovators inspired by this global challenge have joined the finalists in working to reduce diesel runtime,” said Vince Keenan, Head of Innovation Engagement for the Mayor’s Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI). “Eastern Market has become another real-world tech innovation laboratory in Detroit.”

Katy Trudeau, President and CEO of Eastern Market said “Over the last 100 years, businesses in Eastern Market have innovated around food logistics, distribution, and production. Working with growers, businesses, and other stakeholders across southeast Michigan and beyond, we are shaping the next 100 years right here in Detroit.”

Justine Johnson, the State’s Chief of Mobility, said, "Detroit is honored to serve as a test bed for the accessible, sustainable, and equitable future of clean freight. It's another example of the way Michigan takes emerging mobility and electrification technologies from concept to deployment, from mind to market. As a pillar of the community that transcends generations, Eastern Market is building the future of mobility right here."

“Detroit is growing. By the end of 2025, Detroit’s new bridge to Canada will increase freight traffic through our city,” said Tim Slusser, the City’s Chief of Mobility. “Now is the time to discover how to move more goods around more people with less pollution.”

“The diversity and ingenuity of these finalists highlight what is possible when cities open their doors to new thinking,” said Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies, Challenge Works. “Detroit’s commitment to fostering sustainable freight solutions is setting a precedent. These projects are not just forward-thinking; they’re achievable and grounded in the real needs of the community.”

The Sustainable Cities Challenge is funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation and has been designed in partnership with Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute. It aims to create cleaner, more efficient urban mobility systems worldwide. The innovative approaches emerging from Detroit’s Sustainable City Challenge demonstrate how locally grounded ideas can drive meaningful progress toward global sustainability goals.

For more information, visit sustainablecitieschallenge.org.

About the Sustainable Cities Challenge

The Sustainable City Challenge is a two-stage, three-year $9 million global opportunity for cities and innovators. The Sustainable Cities Challenge will be delivered over two stages:

Stage 1: Call to cities
The Challenge sought cities who wish to host City Challenges in 2024 – 2025. In November 2023, ten shortlisted cities received a range of capacity building support to help them understand the issue they want to solve and attract innovators to provide solutions. This included participation in a capacity building academy in Dallas, Texas from November 13–15, 2023. By May 2024, three cities were selected to host City Challenges to find solutions for local mobility challenges: Detroit (USA), Varanasi (India), and Venice (Italy).

Stage 2: Call to Innovators via 3 City Challenges
Working with the host cities, the Sustainable Cities Challenge team supported by designing local City Challenges which launched between May and June 2024. Each City Challenge offers up to $3 million in implementation funding to innovators. Host Cities held open calls for entries from innovators via their City Challenge with the support of the Sustainable Cities Challenge team. Together, they selected their finalists to test their solutions in 2024–2025. In 2026, final implementation funding will be given to winners in each host city to continue to implement and grow their solutions.

Timeline of the TMF Sustainable Cities Challenge

Meet the judges

Dave Schaller: Dave Schaller is the Industry Engagement Director for NACFE, responsible for fleet and supplier engagement, workshops, and social media. He manages Run on Less demonstrations and holds degrees in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. With 27 years at Navistar, he worked in design, research, strategic planning, and marketing, gaining insights across five countries. Dave has five US patents, authored SAE papers, and published numerous NACFE reports.

Justine Johnson: Justine Johnson is an accomplished mobility executive with more than 10 years of experience in external affairs, strategy and government and community relations. As Chief Mobility Officer for the state of Michigan, she leads the state’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) in working across state government, academia and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, including developing dynamic mobility policies and supporting emerging mobility technologies and businesses.

Parth Vaishnav: Parth Vaishnav is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan. His research aims to understand how technology can ameliorate the environmental and human health consequences of energy production and use, promoting energy and environmental justice. He holds a PhD in Engineering & Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and an MPhil in Technology Policy from Cambridge University.

Vince Keenan: City of Detroit Vince Keenan is the Head of Innovation Engagement for the Mayor’s Office of Mobility Innovation. His work spans 25 years of civic participation including holding the U.S. patent for the first online tool allowing voters to search registration, polling location, and sample ballots. A lifelong Detroiter, he championed the adoption of Detroit’s council districts. Recruited by Mayor Duggan as the first District 5 Manager, Vince is currently leading Detroit's clean freight and hydrogen initiatives.

John Daly: Toyota Mobility Foundation John Daly leads initiatives at the Toyota Mobility Foundation that pilot and scale innovative technologies to create equitable and sustainable mobility solutions. With over 20 years of experience at Toyota, he specializes in emerging technologies and strategic cross-sector collaboration to advance next-generation mobility solutions that deliver community impact and preferred futures globally.

About Toyota Mobility Foundation

The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) was established in August 2014 by the Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) to support the development of a more mobile society in which everyone can move freely. The Foundation underscores Toyota’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and respect for people. It utilizes Toyota’s expertise and technologies to support strong mobility systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. TMF works in partnership with universities, governments, non-profits, research institutions and other organizations, creating programs that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address mobility issues around the world.

About Challenge Works

For a decade, Challenge Works has established itself as a global leader in designing and delivering high-impact challenges to incentivize cutting-edge innovation for social good. Challenge Works is a social enterprise founded by the UK’s innovation agency Nesta. Over the past decade, Challenge Works has worked on 101 challenge prizes, engaging more than 16,000 innovators and unlocking over £310 million in funding to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. Challenge Works believes no challenge is unsolvable, partnering with non-profits, governments, and other organizations around the globe to unearth entrepreneurs and their innovations that can solve the greatest challenges of our time. Find out more at challengeworks.org/

About World Resources Institute

World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization with offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, and regional offices for Africa and Europe. WRI’s 1,700 staff work with partners to develop practical solutions that improve people’s lives and ensure nature can thrive. Learn more: WRI.org and on Twitter @WorldResources.

About the City of Detroit's Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI)

The Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI) exists to help the City of Detroit navigate the rapidly changing transportation and mobility industries. Transportation and mobility are essential for both people and businesses and Detroit’s automotive heritage provides an unparalleled opportunity to work with industry to innovate and define their future.

OMI leads mobility advancement efforts on behalf of the City of Detroit and collaborates with industry, academia, philanthropy, and local, state and federal government. By centering residents in every step of the process, OMI is focused on leveraging mobility as a pathway to opportunity in Detroit.

For additional information about OMI, please visit detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/office-mobility-innovation or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

About Eastern Market

Eastern Market has been a driving force in Detroit’s food economy for more than 130 years. The market supports hundreds of farmers and small food businesses, helping to create a resilient local food system that serves Detroit and the surrounding region. As one of the nation’s largest public markets, Eastern Market attracts over 2 million visitors each year and is a hub of fresh food, community connection and entrepreneurship. With its commitment to racial equity, affordability and economic opportunity, Eastern Market continues to shape the future of Detroit’s economy. Visit Easternmarket.org to discover more about our vendors, events, and how you can support local businesses.

For more information about Eastern Market, visit our YouTube channel, or follow us on Instagram, X, or Facebook.