Auto Industry News: LA Showcases Electric Future, Tesla Bets Big in Texas, and Dodge Cages the Hellcat
Events are still a mixed bag in our touch-and-go world, but thankfully the Los Angeles Auto Show kicked off last week without any significant hiccups. Electric vehicles were a focal point, much as they have been in the manufacturing sector. Indeed, Tesla just revealed plans to spend more than $1 billion on its Texas factory. More significant? The projected timeline of completion is the end of this year! But while progress is exciting, it does have its casualties. And recent reports from Stellantis indicate the Dodge Hellcat is about to retire its growl…
Los Angeles Auto Show Touts EVs and Eco-Consciousness
The Los Angeles Auto Show wrapped up on Sunday with a mix of new releases, interactive exhibits, and free test drives. Running Nov. 19-28 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the show was one of the few auto industry events this year that went off without a hitch. SEMA was by all accounts a success for 2021, and the Chicago Auto Show showed some promise for the year. Still, other major shows like the New York Auto Show ended up on the scrap pile just weeks before kickoff because of COVID concerns.
In fact, all things considered, LA managed to put on a pretty (new) normal show. Yes, several major manufacturers were absent. And, yes, COVID protocols still have things feeling weird and dystopian. But with so much new blood on the EV scene – and lots of big names doubling down on R&D – the convention floor was still abuzz with a heavy dose of “what’s next.”
A Very Electric Future
Perhaps to no one’s surprise, EVs ran the LA Auto Show. Debuts spanned from luxurious new releases meant to redefine transportation, to little solar-powered tuk-tuks intended for Amazon urban deliveries. Regardless of size and style, two big themes emerged: range and onboard innovations.
For example, the Fisker Ocean EV is projected to offer roughly 340 miles of range on a single charge, one of the longest numbers to date. Chinese energy company SPI and Phoenix Motor Inc. touted a pickup that supposedly can provide anywhere from 380-450 miles of range, but delivery isn’t scheduled until 2025. Meanwhile, Fisker and Hyundai showed off built-in features on their new models that combine tech and convenience, such as a massive, rotational 17-inch touchscreen and an onboard UVC sterilizer.
Check out some of the notable standouts below.
2022 Toyota bZ4X/2022 Subaru Solterra
Toyota used the LA Auto Show to showcase its forthcoming bZ4x, a fully-electric crossover similar in size to the popular RAV4. The bZ4x is expected to hit dealerships in spring 2022, with an estimated range of 250 miles. The crossover is part of Toyota’s Beyond Zero (bZ) sub-brand of EVs developed alongside Subaru.
Speaking of Subaru, it wouldn’t be a cavalcade of green-conscious cars without a submission by the archetypical outdoor brand. Technically, Subaru teased the Solterra before the LA Auto Show, showing off some interior and exterior features. This time, more information was available on the vehicle’s battery size and range – and surprise, surprise – they mostly match Toyota. That means, shoppers can expect a 71.4 kwh battery pack and 220+ miles of range.
The bZ4x will likely hit American shores with both a front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive version. However, industry scuttlebutt indicates Subaru will opt for AWD-only in the U.S. market, while will generate a combined 215 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque.
Kia EV9
Ahead of Kia’s EV6 (set to drop in early 2022), the automaker revealed its EV9 concept at in LA. This big and boxy three-row SUV boasts flexible seating for seven and, oddly-enough, suicide doors with no central pillar.
The uniquely-designed EV has a projected range of 300 miles on a full charge, keeping with the longer-range theme. Since the initial release was a concept vehicle, it’s tough to tell what’ll end up on the production version of the EV9, but for now, this strange beast looks like it sports a futuristic yoke-type steering wheel, a 27-inch in-dash screen, and a spacious cabin. The production version is still a ways off, though, with the automaker projecting another year or two before it hits dealerships.
Hyundai Seven
Not to be outdone by its sister brand, Hyundai also shared its latest concept vehicle, the Seven. Teased earlier this month via mockup photos, the Seven is a mid-size SUV similar in size to the Palisade. Hyundai says it will share the same 800V architecture as the company’s other IONIQ EVs, providing charging at up to 350 kW. The battery pack is estimated to be roughly 100 kWh, and like Kia’s EV9, the Seven is expected to provide a range of 300 miles.
Interestingly, Hyundai also touted what it calls a “hygienic interior” on the Seven. Features like a hygienic airflow, built-in sterilization cycle with UV technology, and antimicrobial accents like copper all work together to reduce the spread of germs inside the vehicle. (At least they know how to read the room?)
Hyundai’s hoping to launch the Seven sometime in 2024, following the IONIQ Six, the line’s EV sedan model, which will drop late next year.
Hits & Misses
Not all of the tech at the show was hyper-futuristic, though. Some vendors opted to showcase vintage car bodies built on newer electric powertrains. Startups like Cobera shared its sharp-looking C300, an old-school hot-rod with hints of a Shelby Cobra that runs on an electric engine instead of a V-8. Ford also tapped into the vintage vibe with its F-100 Eluminator Concept truck. The pickup paired a 1978 F-100 pickup with the same two electric motors on the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition.
Some press outlets found parts of the show lacking, compared to what it offered in previous years. Others remarked that the overarching theme of sustainability was welcome, but slightly behind the curve considering what the broader global call has been asking for.
TechCrunch’s Abigail Bassett said automakers’ eco-conscious press conferences felt like a “mix of greenwashing and actual action,” as the industry continues to “drag its feet in the path to lower emissions.”
Over at Automotive News, Jamie Butters hinted that if more prominent brands hadn’t decided to hold press events before and outside the show, it could’ve potentially been the best version of the event in years. Indeed, the noticeable gap left by those big names resulted in some… less than thrilling press conferences, shall we say? Like the one Mattel held to promote its toy Barbie car for the Christmas season. (No, we’re not kidding.)
New Landscape
Even before COVID, a changing industry demographic started to change the face and shape of a traditional auto show. Geneva International Motor Show already canceled its upcoming 2022 show, citing pandemic-related challenges. In reality, the organization’s been grappling with ways to keep the event profitable for a couple of years.
Toy cars, changing consumer trends, and logistical challenges aside, the LA Auto Show did roll out some interesting and exciting concepts. It also provided automotive fans and professionals a chance to gather in-person (in California no less) and celebrate the latest and greatest the industry has to offer.
Tesla Spending $1 Billion on Texas Factory
Flashy concept designs might show the auto industry’s enthusiasm for EVs, but investments speak louder.
Tesla has hit the ground running ever since it decided to set up a manufacturing facility in Texas last summer. And it sounds like the manufacturer has a lot planned for the coming months. In a Nov. 19 filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Tesla said it planned to spend more than $1 billion on construction at its Gigafactory in Austin. The company aims to finish construction on the nearly 1-mile-long plant by the end of 2021.
The 4.3-million-square-foot plant, which will house general assembly, paint, casting, stamping, and body shop operations, is expected to bring around 10,000 jobs to the area. This will be the newest U.S. factory for the automaker, alongside California and Nevada. (Tesla also runs factories in Germany and China.)
The $1 billion investment certainly is eyebrow-raising, but fast-tracking the facility’s completion is arguably the more interesting takeaway. The last 18 months have wreaked havoc on supply chains, manufacturing, and, more recently, the labor pool. That apparently hasn’t stopped Tesla though, as it plows into 2022. The company’s also seen an endless wave of stock share sales, and more recently, a deal with Hertz to sell 100,000 Tesla Model 3s for its fleet inventory. Tesla CEO Elon Musk brushed off the news and said the deal wasn’t official yet, but Hertz indicated it was a go.
Competition Picks Up
In the meantime, other automakers are looking ahead to 2023 and beyond as go-time for EV production ramp-up. Ford recently said it planned to increase its EV production to 600,000 vehicles for 2023. According to CEO Jim Farley, that would place the automaker second in line behind Tesla’s numbers.
The new goal is double what Ford previously projected, and will focus on the automaker’s three core EV models: the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit. Farley also said the automaker planned to convert more than 80% of consumers with reservations for the F-150 Lighting into owners. The automaker has racked up more than 150,000 reservations for the truck in recent months, so this signals that Ford’s determined to turn that palpable excitement into actual sales.
Whether Ford actually hits the number two spot or not isn’t a sure thing just yet, as GM has been pushing its own EV agenda just as heavily. Earlier this month, the automaker celebrated the opening of its Factory ZERO EV assembly plant with a visit from President Biden. The company invested $2.2 billion to renovate the factory to manufacture electric trucks and SUVs. GM previously said it plans to invest $35 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles and will roll out upwards of 30 electric vehicle models globally by 2025.
Other sectors want in on the EV boom, too.
While it hasn’t made its way across the pond just yet, there’s chatter about fresh legislation for equipping new residential and commercial buildings with 240-volt circuitry to charge EVs.
The British government recently passed a new law mandating all homes and commercial buildings have EV charging equipment. The law applies to new homes and to non-residential buildings, as well as buildings that undergo large-scale renovations with more than 10 parking spaces, such as offices and supermarkets. Government officials said they expect the new regulations to add up to 145,000 extra charge points across England each year.
There aren’t any official plans to enact similar laws in the U.S. yet, but with the passage of the infrastructure bill, which calls for building more charging stations nationwide, something similar is likely to take shape. Already, guidelines approved under the International Code Council require new homes be “EV-ready” with 240-volt circuitry.
The Cat Won’t Come Back
EVs might be spelling big bucks for some automakers, but there’s also a V-8 casualty on the chopping block. A report from Motor Authority early last week said that production of Dodge Hellcat models will end after 2023, making way for an electric muscle car concept.
The publication interviewed Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis at the 2021 LA Auto Show, who confirmed the engine’s near-term demise. “I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it through the end of ’23,” Kuniskis told Motor Authority, referring to the Hellcat, adding that there were two years left to buy one and then, “It’s history.”
In its place, the automaker plans to preview an electric 2024 concept muscle car early next year. Performance details are under wraps, and Dodge is waiting until patents are cleared to share any information. There are also plans to reveal a plug-in hybrid and a third model, which is yet to be identified.
Bittersweet Progress
The tone from Dodge around the news is that it’s time to move on and that buyers will be “excited” for the new electrified models the automaker has in the pipeline. But there’s also the stark reality of why we’re seeing this legend ride off into the proverbial sunset.
Emissions laws that take effect in 2022 will be prohibitive to engines like the Hellcat. Yes, Hellcat-equipped models can still meet emissions laws, Kuniskis said. But, “you’re going to pay a lot of compliance fines,” he added, signaling that the company didn’t think it’d be feasible to continue production. Dodge already announced that the 2021 version of the 710-hp Durango SRT Hellcat three-row SUV was its last, thanks to emissions laws.
In the face of the sad news, Dodge still has plans to ramp up the excitement for its newer models. The automaker’s released an “advent calendar” of sorts on its website. With its Dodge Never Lift campaign, the website features 24 different garage doors that will open over time, revealing the automaker’s upcoming releases. The most recent reveal is a video teasing Dodge’s upcoming Jailbreak line.
The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Be sure to tune in Friday when we unpack how a new wave of incoming electric trucks will spell both new challenges and same ol’ business for the aftermarket.
