LA Auto Show preview: EVs, Asian debuts, and celebs
Henry PayneLos Angeles — As automakers in the new media age have staged exclusive vehicle premieres and remote media launches, auto shows have taken a back seat. From New York to Detroit to Los Angeles, shows are focusing on their core, regional audiences and ramping up the non-automaker entertainment.
For this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, that means a focus on electric cars and celebrities.
Set in America’s biggest auto market with California regulators mandating EV sales over the next decade (with federal mandates not far behind), the state’s biggest show is also the most significant on the U.S. automotive calendar. This year’s auto-palooza kicks off with Thursday's Media Day before opening to the public Nov. 17-26. Attendees will have the chance to test over a dozen EVs, and the show will — for the first time — feature an EV on the stand of every automaker.
To plug consumers in to the growing list of EVs on offer, both April’s New York International Auto Show and Detroit’s event in September dedicated significant floor space to EV rides. LA’s Electric Avenue boasts the show circuit’s biggest EV track — and, unlike its peers, will allow consumers to get behind the wheel.
“This is the country’s volume electric vehicle market,” said David Fortin, vice president of marketing for the LA show, which is put on by Ansa Productions. “California is the state leading the way with regulations pushing an electric future.”
The EV push comes as consumer interest has lagged and even the California market — home to 40% of America’s EV sales — has been resistant to battery-powered vehicles not named Tesla.
“The LA auto show has historically served as fertile ground for electrified vehicle introductions, but this year's show comes at a complex time for EVs,” said Edmunds’ auto analyst Jessica Caldwell. “While all-electric market share has risen from 6.0% to 7.5% year-over-year, it has remained relatively stagnant for the past five months due to high interest rates, high prices and lagging interest from consumers.”
Just as the Detroit show has tried to fill the void where glitzy brand sets used to be with flying airplanes and truck towing, the LA show wants to add a dose of celebrity. “We understand that we can bring uniqueness to the LA Show by adding some Hollywood flavor,” said Fortin
There will be Robert Downey Jr. — aka, Tony Stark in the hit Marvel movie franchise “Iron Man” — and his eco-modified RDJ Dream Cars collection, six classic cars that have been converted to alternative fuels and battery power that will be on exhibit in the South Hall. The cars’ transformations were documented on a MAX TV series and each will be given away as part of a public sweepstakes. The models include a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette, 1966 Buick Riviera, 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE, 1972 Chevrolet K10 pickup, 1972 Volkswagen Bus and 1985 Chevy El Camino.
Popular comedian Kevin Hart will showcase nine custom-built cars from his collection, including a ‘59 Corvette “Mint Condition,” 1969 Chevy Camaro “Bad News,” 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner “Michael Myers,” 1970 Dodge Charger “Hellraiser” and 2023 Ferrari 812 Competizione. Other attractions include the Galpin Hall of Customs featuring customer supercars from Lamborghinis to Ford Raptors, and a promotion for the movie “Ferrari,” coming this Christmas to theaters.
Hart’s collection will fill the West Hall space where Porsche has traditionally set up in the sprawling, 1-million-square-foot LA Convention Center. Porsche did not commit to the show this year — citing its huge Rennsport reunion that took place in Monterey this fall — joining other luxury European makes like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Alfa Romeo on the sidelines.
The West Hall vacancy is a victim of Stellantis’s late pullout due to the prolonged UAW contract negotiations. That has left a big hole in the West Hall — where Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler traditionally display — that Fortin said the show has been creative in filling. Part of that Jeep experience will be plugged by the Overland Outpost, presented by enthusiast magazine OVR, which will showcase over 30 off-road vehicles.
Two of Detroit’s other major brands, Chevrolet and Ford, will have a large floor presence, including Ford’s Off-Rodeo display where consumers can take Bronco rides. Ford is also expected to show off the 2024 Mustang GT California Special for the first time in public.
Both Chevy (#5) and Ford (#3) are in the Top Ten best-selling brands in the Golden State, but six of the top sellers are Asian brands and they will make the bulk of the product news here (Tesla and Mercedes are ranked #2 and #7, respectively in California sales, but neither do auto shows any more).
Toyota is expected to make a big splash with a new Camry sedan and Crown SUV. The Crown sedan debuted in the U.S. market for the 2023 model year, and the SUV broadens the sub-brand’s portfolio.
Other notables to look for include Hyundai’s radically-redesigned Santa Fe SUV — the latest in a series of head-turning vehicles from the ambitious Korean brand — and a redesigned Subaru and Nissan Rogue.Ironically, all these debuts are gas-powered in a show that will otherwise be green-focused. Lucid is expected to carry the EV headlines with the introduction of its Gravity SUV, the second vehicle in the brand’s portfolio after the sleek Air sedan. There will also be debuts from non-traditional manufacturers like hydrogen fuel cell truck-maker Nikola, electric superbike builder Verge and Pebble EV travel trailers.
In addition to EVs on stands, the convention center’s lots will be transformed into the mile-long Electric Avenue loops circling the center’s South Hall.
Combine the inside activations and the test track outside, and electric models available for rides include the Chevy Blazer EV, Chevy Silverado EV pickup, Kia EV6, Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Mazda MX-30, Polestar 2, Volkswagen ID.4, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Porsche Taycan, Lucid Air and Cadillac Lyriq.
“The biggest barrier to entry in electric vehicles is experience behind the wheel,” sad Fortin. Complementing the rides, Fortin and his team have constructed the EV Discovery Center, where bilingual EV ambassadors are on hand to educate consumers.
“We understand where the passions of our California customers are,” said Fortin “Their passions are in green tech, off-road, on the beaches, and on the race track.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.