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Payne: Big reveals, big crowds, big EV push on tap for New York Auto Show
Posted by Talbot Payne on April 6, 2023
New York — Political junkies are abuzz about President Trump’s arraignment here in a Manhattan courtroom this week, but, if you’re a car consumer, there’s another big event in town.
The auto show circus rolls into the Big Apple Wednesday and it’s got a lot of new acts.
Auto shows are returning to their roots as consumer showcases after three decades of glitzy media reveals on giant, multi-million-dollar vehicle displays. Manufacturer presence in New York will be lighter this year as shows compete with the other hip venues for new vehicle reveals like the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas or a wine orchard in Napa. The media spotlight will shine on important new reveals from Ram, Jeep, and Kia on April 6 ahead of one of the show circuit’s biggest public weeks, April 7-14.
Hosted by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, Gotham’s consumer focus is key to retailers as their brands introduce a flood of new EV product. Automakers and their government regulators are juiced about battery-power and dealers are keen to get the word out. A substantial portion of Javits Convention Center’s floor space will be dedicated to EV ride-and-drives.
With New York state mandating the end of internal combustion-engine sales by 2035 — and New York City requiring the massive fleets of Uber and Lyft to be all-electric by 2030 — dealers are pressing to get customers into cars that are only a fraction of current sales.
“We’ve grown our indoor test track for electric vehicles,” said Mark Shienberg, president of the GNYADA. “Last year … we had a multi-brand track and a total of about 80,000 people who experienced an EV ride and drive during the show. So it really helps people understand where the technology is going and where the future is going to be.”
Ironically, Tesla — which dominates EV sales with three of the top five best-selling EVs — won’t be present in New York. Neither will a stream of EV startups that it has inspired: Rivian, Fisker, Lucid, Vinfast, or Lordstown. But EV government mandates are universal and brands want to prime the consumer pump. Plus Tesla’s success has made EVs trendy and the public is intrigued by their smooth operation and instant torque.
“We’re in the honeymoon stage right now with electric vehicles,” said Brian Moody, executive editor of Kelley Blue Book. “People love the feel of a $45,000 electric Kia, but aren’t asking about charging networks or whether batteries are good for the environment yet. Europe thought diesels were the future 25 years ago and how did that work out?”
There will be lots of ways to get into EVs with Ford and Hyundai also offering EV test tracks as part of their floor displays.
Manufacturers like Kia also see batteries as a chance to recharge their brands. South Korea-maker Kia has been undergoing a total makeover with sports sedans like the Stinger and electric bullets like the EV6 GT. It will drop the production-ready, three-wire family EV9 electric SUV on Gotham, and it is sure to be one of the most buzzed about vehicles in show.
“I think they are trying to use the EV9 to break through the barriers,” said Karl Brauer, auto analyst with iSeeCars. “The EV9 feels like a concept car and promises range, driving assist, and acceleration performance you wouldn’t expect from a three-row EV.”
New York boasts the country’s oldest auto show dating back to 1900 — a run that continued uninterrupted until COVID shut it down in 2020 and 2021 before coming back last year.
“Hundreds of thousands come to (the) show every year. Last year 72% of people who came to the auto show shopping for a car added — or subtracted — a brand from their consideration,” said Shienberg. “This year we’re looking for over 100,000 people to do the electric test drives.”
Kelley Blue Book’s Moody said that the show is making good use of real estate once occupied by static displays: “An indoor test track is the perfect place to test EVs. No emissions, no engine noise, and an opportunity to get people inside for the first time and see what it feels like.”
After the CES debut of Ram’s first EV, the Revolution concept, in January, expect a production version in New York. Genesis is expected to showcase a new EV as well. And there will be plenty of popular gas-powered vehicles, including the first time New Yorkers have seen the mighty Corvette E-Ray hybrid.
Subaru has teased its rugged Wilderness package on the Crosstrek SUV. Jeep promises a big announcement and visitors to Javits will be welcomed by the brand’s signature off-road, outdoors Wrangler test track. Hyundai might reveal a refreshed Sonata sedan with a cleaner exterior look. None of these vehicles is expected to upgrade its powertrain or chassis.
“The EVs are all about breaking barriers, but the internal combustion cars are getting the least investment,” said iSeeCars Brauer. “All the money is going into new EV platforms.”
New York’s wealth is expressed in skyscraper penthouses and lavish luxury autos, but premium brands like Audi, Cadillac, Jaguar, and Volvo will be absent this year. Others like Mercedes-Benz and BMW will have diminished floor space. For all the emphasis on EVs, analysts said Manhattan is not terribly EV friendly given its concentration of apartment dwellers. EVs sell best to households with garages where EVs can be charged overnight.
“Manhattan is not the biggest EV market in the area,” said Schienberg. “Clearly the outer counties — Long Island, Bergen County, New Jersey, Fairfield County, Connecticut — are really, really big markets.”
Analysts said that EVs are the latest fad — and that manufacturers must be attentive to government mandates — but they are unlikely to appeal to everyone. In the meantime, said Moody, manufacturers like Ford benefit from offering customers an array of choice from gas-powered F-150s to diesel-powered pickups to electric Lightnings.
“Vehicle fashion goes in cycles,” he said. “Back in the 1970s, Cadillac said that the convertible was going the way of the rumble seat and the running board. Within five years, GM was selling convertibles again.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.