The 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show is a wrap — for the press, anyway. That means it’s time to recap the big launches, weird details, featured cars, and strange absences we’ve noticed this year.
Highlights include the SUV that will make or break Lucid, Amazon’s auto fixation, a pickup reminiscent of Tesla’s Cybertruck, and a rocket-powered Pontiac Fiero that a two-speed somehow launched into orbit (not really).
The LA Auto Show floor was lackluster this year, thanks at least in part to the absence of Stellantis, which owns Fiat, Jeep, Chrysler and a host of other brands. As I type this, while leaning against a wall on the floor of the convention center, a passer-by remarked unconvincingly that the day’s attendance was “still pretty decent.” The comment seemed to capture the auto industry’s shift toward stand-alone and online events, and how the trend has left auto shows scrambling for ways to fill the halls. And yet, there’s still a lot to chew on this year, so let’s dig in.
Lucid Gravity: Beautiful and expensive
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson and lead designer Derek Jenkins sit on the wrist of the new Lucid Gravity. Image Credits: Harri Weber for TechCrunch.
Lucid has had the longest history of the series as far as EVs go.
The company debuted its somewhat low but roomy Gravity SUV, with a “predicted range” of 440 miles and a price tag of around $80,000.
It certainly looks like a luxury SUV, but I can’t speak to the feel of it. Lucid, unfortunately, did not let me sit on the wrist. CEO Peter Rawlinson noted during his presentation that a Lucid is more possible than you might think. (As I put off fixing the nearly $10,000 bent wheel on my 2013 Smart Fortwo, I reflexively wonder, “What planet does this man live on?”)
Don’t call it Cybertruck
Image Credits: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
He invited a previously under-the-radar company Aitekx debuted the RoboTruck in a small booth adjacent to the west hall of the auto show.
You tell me — does it look like a Tesla to you? When I asked someone at the booth if the vehicle was inspired by Cybertruck, he responded with a firm “no.”
Fictitious
A fantastic Fiero with rockets from the Fast & Furious franchise. Image Credits: Harri Weber for TechCrunch
Some of the most memorable vehicles at the show were simply works of fiction. A Fast & Furious exhibit featured several vehicles from the long-running franchise, including an orbital Fiero and Vin Diesel’s Charger, both of which appeared in “F9: The Fast Saga.”
Vin Diesel Charger. Image Credits: Harri Weber for TechCrunch
Movies are not about realism. They are about cars. And family.
Amazon auto-fix
Image Credits: Screenshot/Kirsten Korosec
Another highlight of the show was Hyundai’s tie-up with Amazon.
The online retailer said it will start selling Hyundai vehicles at its US store in the second half of next year, adding that other brands will follow. It’s not exactly a surprising move, since the e-commerce giant already sells basically everything, including prefab homes.
Has the EV spotlight gone?
A Subaru Forester internal combustion engine. Image Credits: Harri Weber for TechCrunch
I wondered this going into the show, and to be clear: The spotlight is still on electrification.
Almost every automaker in attendance had a hybrid or all-electric vehicle on display — Chevrolet flashed the letters “ev” in its logo to drive home the point. (Like, okay, Chevy, we get it.) And yet, during Subaru and Hyundai’s presentations, battery electric vehicles seemed to take a back seat. Their presentations paid more attention to vents and hybrids. In this way, they reflect an industry that recognizes the fate of the internal combustion engine, but still depends on them for profitability.
Beyond electrification
A seafoam-green Kia concept EV. Image Credits: Harri Weber for TechCrunch
Beyond electrification, other important environmental issues – such as building with recycled materials and powering factories with renewable energy – did not appear to take center stage during the presentations. Last year, Fiat introduced some individual vehicles that contained recycled gold and recycled marine debris. The move seemed more for everyone to see, but at least it meant that “recycled materials” appeared on stage.
This year, as Subaru of America president Jeff Walters left the stage, TechCrunch asked if he could talk about any environmental or sustainability considerations the company might have made, such as using recycled materials, with the new Forester. . “Not off the top of my head,” he replied.
Lucid didn’t say much on stage, but off stage Lucid design director Derek Jenkins told TechCrunch that the automaker incorporated leather alternatives, wood and recycled fibers into its SUV’s interior. Jenkins also emphasized that renewable energy sources are a part of the energy that powers its production facilities.
In contrast, Kia stood out this year when it came to sustainability issues. The company showed off two EV prototypes and said it had a skin alternative based on mushrooms, hemp fibers, recycled textiles, natural dyes and bioplastics. However, take this with a grain of salt – these are not production vehicles.
