2023 is EV Ready with Vehicles on Center Stage.

Porsche Taycan is an Porsche electric sports car.

While the numbers are still being tabulated, 2022 proved to be an inflection point for electric vehicle sales. In September alone, worldwide sales broke all records when for the first time EV registrations exceeded the one million mark.

There were lots of reasons why 2022 was a banner year for electric cars including escalating gas prices and growing demand to address climate change. However, there was also more choices every and more affordable options hitting the roadways.

After years of promising EVs, manufacturers here in the U.S. and around the world finally delivered and the options are many - just see what we uncovered at the 2022 LA Auto Show.

The LA Auto Show is BACK!

Over the past two years, Thanksgiving weekend just wasn’t the same without the LA Auto Show. Thankfully, this year it was back just in time to celebrate its 115th anniversary and it didn’t disappoint! 

As expected, electric vehicles (EVs) were front and center. With EV adoption growing around the world and with organizations like the International Energy Agency predicting EVs to top 300 million shortly after 2040, almost every automaker in attendance was showing off their portfolio of electric cars and innovation prowess. 

Beyond a heavy focus on electrification, the show’s themes ranged from bold and retro design to smart home integration and energy efficiency.

Here are a few things that caught our attention … 

Genesis was centered all around on design. Their concepts were gorgeous and once in production will bring some exciting new cars to L.A.’s 405 and highways well beyond. Overall, the current EVs from Hyundai/Kia/Genesis continued to get high praise from the press and drivers. 

Hyundai via their Electrum partnership presented their Home Marketplace to provide charger sales and installation as well as access to solar and storage vendors for whole home charging and storage solutions - bringing the clean energy benefits full circle. 

In sharp contrast, Toyota continued to struggle. Instead of using this opportunity to announce a long-held, and iconic nameplate as a BEV, they presented a Toyota Crown gas hybrid model. Opting to not go head-to-head with the Ioniq5, EV6, or even the new Blazer, Toyota focused on their newest hybrid and only announced their full BEV– bZ Compact SUV as a concept. Although the model is intriguing, their limited electric portfolio affirmed their lateness to the party and their only loose commitment to electrification.

WIth Nissan’s Ariya approaching release, the manufacturer had a small ride along opportunity at the LACC. The vehicle dialed in on the journey providing Zero Gravity seating and flat floor between the driver and front row passenger making for an in-vehicle lounge experience. Other nice touches included large displays and haptic controls on the main dash. Plus, the vehicle felt roomy and comfortable – that’s coming from a big guy!

The new Chevy Blazer and Silverado were by far the belles of the ball and press darlings. With bold new designs and innovative features, the new Blazer proved to be incredibly versatile and did an excellent job delivering on the small SUV experience. With 320+ miles of range, eye-catching flourishes and serious performance, the SS model (with Wide Open Watts) promised to bring drivers to 60 mph in under 4 seconds - putting it on par with Tesla.  

The relative newcomer Vinfast continued to impress with its EV models and vertical approach with billions invested in R&D and production. The VF8 and VF9 offered excellent powertrain combinations and 10-year limited warranties. Vinfast also claimed that a charger and installation would be included in the purchase price. Only time will tell how consumers will respond to their go-to=market pricing which DOES NOT include the battery as they have options there as well.

Volkswagen’s ID Buzz really brought their past right into the present with its retro styling, and VW bus credentials. By all accounts a fun, yet practical approach that could really find a following. It would be nice to see some of their old nameplates or models return as EV’s. 

With so many new models and so much buzz around EVs, it was no surprise that the test drive lines were long, especially for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the Nissan Ariya. 

Also among the event highlights was Subaru’s “Adopt A Four Legged Best Friend” event - by far one of the best and most loved attractions in the house. 

All in all, the LA Auto Show promised and delivered. It was so good to be back in the midst of it all and it’s exciting to see what an electrified future will look like. Without question, the automakers are putting ICE vehicles in their rearview mirror. EVs are here to stay and are bringing more innovation to the automotive industry than we’ve ever seen before. To see more detailed pictures of everything we saw, please visit the National Car Charging Facebook page.

Javier Gomez, Business Development, Los Angeles & Ventura Counties

Amy Mullett, Business Development, San Diego & Orange County

Written by Amy Mullett and Javier Gomez.

Both Javier and Amy are part of National Car Charging’s Business Development team in California, based in Los Angeles and San Diego respectively.