After a year hiatus occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Los Angeles Auto Show, presumably one of the world’s largest auto shows that give a one-stop-stop comparison for shopping cars, trucks, SUVs, electric vehicles and other automobiles, will open this week, and this comes without any pressure of sales.
There is something for everyone at the exhibition, be it new vehicle shopping, free test drives, experiencing the latest tech or exploring an assortment of customized rides and exotics but of note is battery powered automobiles.
Electric vehicles will definitely have its day at the auto show, getting the leverage of high-provided top billing.
Popular Automobile manufacturer, Subaru that has seen its sales rise exponentially in the United States, will have its first all-electric vehicle, Solterra, a petite SUV unveiled at the event.
Renowned Vietnamese automaker, Vinfast, will also exhibit its two all-electric SUVs at the event.
Automobile exhibition shows may have waned in prominence and importance over the last years as automobile manufacturers prefer to unveil their vehicles at their own events but the shows are still significant for customers in metro areas who want to see what’s new, all in one place.
Solterra by Subaru, a battery-powered vehicle the size of a Forester gas-powered SUV, which on a single charge can travel up to about 220 miles (350 kilometers), while leveraging on the brand’s trademark all-wheel-drive to go off the road and handle inclement weather, is one of the cars to look forward to at the show.
According to Subaru, the lithium-ion battery in the Solterra car can be powered with home alternating current chargers, and can also handle DC fast charging on the road, with the electric motor putting out 215 horsepower.
The automaker further affirmed that the five-passenger Solterra will go on sale sometime around 2022, although the price was not indicated.
VinFast will also introduce the VF e35 midsize and VF e36 large electric SUVs at the show.
According to VinFast Global Chief Executive, Michael Lohscheller, the company intend to begin taking orders in the spring and deliver vehicles in the United States in the fall. The automaker will initially manufacture the SUVs at a new factory in Vietnam, but has plans to build a U.S. factory that would start producing in the second half of 2024, with the company currently looking at sites.
Lohscheller in an interview on Wednesday, while giving descriptions on the new introductions, said the VF e35 will have a maximum range of 310 miles (499 kilometers) per charge, while the larger e36 will be able to travel up to 422 miles (679 kilometers) per charge, but said he would not yet reveal the prices.
VinFast, a private automotive startup manufacturer, VinFast, renowned for the production of top class vehicles intends to sell its vehicles through its own network of stores, with a large chunk of the order process performed online. The company already has plans for 60 stores in California alone, and according to Lohscheller, It also will have some service centers and mobile service.
“We would come to your home and fix it for you,” he said.
A member of the conglomerate organization Vingroup founded by Phạm Nhật Vượng, VinFast according to Lohschelller is providing capital to expand electric vehicle sales to the U.S. and eventually Europe, with plans in the offing to perform a U.S. public stock offering for further fund-raising in the next year or two.
Promoters at the Los Angeles Auto show are optimistic that the new exhibition will provide more test-drive opportunities than a past shows, including an indoor electric vehicle test track as well as outdoor test drives.
The show has Wednesday and Thursday as the Press days, while it opens to the public from Nov. 19-28.