After a year off due to the pandemic, the Los Angeles Auto Show is back. Like the Detroit Auto Show, the LA event's media profile will be diminished this year as manufacturers diversify the venues by which they introduce new product.
But the Los Angeles show, with press and trade days Wednesday and Thursday and public days Friday-Nov. 28, remains a significant auto event for another reason: electric vehicle sales.
As global governments for the first time dictate what drivetrains automakers must sell, California is on the leading edge of mandated EV adoption. In recent years, LA has been the stage for some of the country's most significant EV debuts, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Rivian R1T pickup.
With hundreds of thousands of consumers expected to stream through the LA Convention Center doors in the next two weeks, auto dealers are desperate to introduce them to new EVs that buyers have so far largely ignored due to high costs and limited range.
"These (electric vehicles) mandates are coming fast," said David Fortin, LA Auto Show consumer marketing director, in an interview. "We're leading the charge over here. The show reflects that. People are interested to see what the future looks like."
California is the U.S.'s largest auto market with more than 2 million vehicles sold annually, led by trucks and SUVs. It also makes up the lion's share of America's EV sales. Nationally, EVs make up less than 3% of new car sales, but nearly 50% of those sales are in the Golden State.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has mandated that all new vehicle sales must be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 in an aggressive campaign to ban gas engines, yet just 6% of vehicles registered in California today are EVs.
With an interim goal of 1.5 million ZEVs by 2025, California requires automakers to sell a certain percentage of EVs according to a complicated formula depending on sales volume. Those who miss the target must buy emissions credits. With Newsom's 2035 executive order, regulations are expected to get much tougher.
The mandates are part of a comprehensive effort to wean California from fossil fuels. As utilities have abandoned carbon fuels like natural gas, electric rates have skyrocketed to 80% above the national average according to UC Berkeley's Haas Business School — complicating electric vehicle adoption.
Most media vehicle debuts Wednesday will be battery-powered, with reveals from Fisker, Hyundai, Kia and Subaru. Porsche — which sells 25% of its U.S. volume in California — also plans a big splash with an expected five world-premiere vehicles, three of them electric.
Reveals are down significantly from just two years ago, when the show was host to 25 world debuts. Part of the reduction is due to the lingering uncertainty of the pandemic. While much of the country is open and hosting indoor events mask-free, Los Angeles County is strictly regulated with vaccine, testing and mask mandates to enter the LA Convention Center. The New York City Auto Show was canceled with just two weeks notice in August, and many automakers have shelved plans to attend shows.
In the age of social media, automakers are also eschewing auto shows for individual reveal events where they do not have to compete for media attention. Significant vehicles like the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, and Honda Civic Si are being revealed this fall at venues far from auto show floors.
"The experience has to provide value. Every automaker has their own strategy," said Fortin. He added that auto shows still provide unparalleled access to consumers, especially in an age of social media.
"We position ourselves with our global platform," he continued. Automakers can "leverage the two days of Automobility LA and 10 days of consumer show to reach — it's a crazy number — billions of impressions when you take (into account) media influence, social media influence."
The dearth of legacy automaker debuts on the show floor offers opportunities for upstarts. The LA show will showcase debuts from the first Vietnamese models to the U.S., the 2022 VinFast VF e35 and VF e36. If the young firm's plans stay on track, it will beat a host of Chinese automakers to market in 2022.
Fisker Inc. is also seeking a comeback. Founder Henrik Fisker was an EV pioneer with Elon Musk a decade ago, yet his company has not had the success of Tesla, which makes up about 80% of EV sales nationally. Fisker will introduce the all-new Ocean in LA and hopes to catch the capital funding wave that has valued Tesla at more than $1 trillion and Rivian — which introduced its electric pickup here in 2018 — to more than $100 billion.
The LA Show will also debut the Zero Emissions Vehicles Awards to help "connect the public to this transformative moment going on," said Fortin. The ZEVAs break the 93 EVs on the market today into nine categories, with the winners being announced Wednesday.
For all the electric hype, however, gas-powered vehicles still dominate the California market, with more than 90% of vehicle sales.
"Gas-powered vehicles are still really important and there's a healthy mix of those on display," said Fortin. "It's a transformative time when we need to showcase both."
In addition to the more than 1,000 vehicles on the showroom floor, automakers will have have 10 interactive exhibits for customers to climb aboard and ride. The all-new, gas-powered Bronco SUV will face off against Camp Jeep with Ford's Bronco Built Wild activation. Ram will offer rides in its 1500 light duty pickup. Other rides will be available from automakers including Audi, Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Subaru and Jeep.
There will be a dedicated, 55,000-square-foot area to experience EV rides.
"The public has been really responsive after tickets went on sale," said Fortin. "People have been pent up at home and missing the annual event. It's showtime."
