{"id":29076,"date":"2022-04-15T17:22:42","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T21:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29076"},"modified":"2022-04-15T17:22:42","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T21:22:42","slug":"payne-ev-startups-steal-the-new-york-international-auto-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/payne-ev-startups-steal-the-new-york-international-auto-show","title":{"rendered":"Payne: EV startups steal the New York International Auto Show"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Shoot virtual zombies while driving through New York! Get a full battery replacement from your electric-vehicle manufacturer! Launch zero-60 in a face-flattening 1.9 seconds!<\/p>\n

Auto shows in recent years have been launch pads for new EV companies including Lucid, Fisker, Byton, Qiantu\u00a0and Rivian. This year\u2019s New York International Auto Show is no different, showcasing three new EV players spanning the breadth of the auto market from the gaming-focused\u00a0INDI EV<\/a>\u2019s SUV to the\u00a0VinFast<\/a>\u00a0VF 9\u2019s innovative battery subscription to the insane performance of the\u00a0Deus<\/a>\u00a0Vayanne hypercar.<\/p>\n

Whether another tech bubble or a genuine revolution, the sky-high valuations\u00a0of electric vehicle makers are\u00a0attracting more startups than the auto industry has seen in a century. Some, like China\u2019s Byton and Qiantu, have yet to realize their promise in the U.S.\u00a0market, where Lucid and Rivian have completed initial public offerings and started deliveries to customers.<\/p>\n

Hoping to follow the latter examples, the three startups made a big splash at the New York show\u2019s media day on Wednesday. Armed with industry-savvy personnel and mature partners, they hope to be the next big thing.<\/p>\n

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INDI EV.<\/strong>\u00a0Short for Independent EV, the Los Angles-based startup showed off its INDI One here \u2014\u00a0a compact SUV starting at $45,000 and swimming in the same shark tank as other $45K utes like the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen\u00a0ID.4, Toyota bZ4X, Subaru Solterra\u00a0and so on. So what makes the INDI One different?<\/p>\n

\u201cGaming,\u201d says chief designer Andre Hudson.<\/p>\n

At the 250,000-square-foot EV Test Track in Javits Convention Center, I was a passenger in the backseat of the INDI One \u2014 wearing a virtual reality helmet. While being chauffeured around the track,\u00a0I played the first-person shooter game\u00a0Z-Crew from Snail Games, adapted for use in the car (which in the VR looked like the interior of a military vehicle) with zombies coming at me from all directions. The ones I couldn\u2019t shoot, the car ran over.<\/p>\n

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The INDI One performs this trick compliments of founder and Chinese entrepreneur Shi Hai, who also founded Snail Games. Three of its games have been adapted for use in the SUV with more to come. Processing power comes compliments of \u201cthe VIC\u201d (Vehicle Integrated Computer), a Windows-based computer in the front of the car (visible beneath a transparent hood) running a state-of the-art Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card.<\/p>\n

The hood tease is meant to be reminiscent of gas-engine hood scoops \u2014\u00a0think the Shaker protruding from the Dodge Challenger Hemi V-8.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future auto standard is not going to be engine power, it\u2019s going to be processing power,\u201d says Hudson, a 25-year industry design veteran who has penned such notable cars as the Saturn Sky Roadster, 2011 Hyundai Sonata\u00a0and Genesis G90. He adds that the INDI One will still have plenty of drivetrain power with 475 horsepower and standard all-wheel drive.<\/p>\n

Doing a simple, clean sheet EV design on top of a skateboard chassis intrigued Hudson, but the real focus is inside, where the INDI One Premium trim ($69,000) boasts three big screens: one behind the wheel, and two\u00a015-inch displays for driver and passenger. With the dedicated computer behind them, INDI One promises a mobile office where owners have a digital toolbox for work, programming\u00a0and gaming.<\/p>\n

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INDI EV opened orders at the New York show with deliveries expected in the second quarter of 2023. Note to customers: the VR headsets only come with the Premium model.<\/p>\n

VinFast.<\/strong>\u00a0Backed by the Vietnamese industrial conglomerate Vingroup, VinFast is en route to fulfill its ambitious plans: bring four SUVs \u2014 VF and a North Carolina manufacturing plant to the U.S. in the next couple of years.<\/p>\n

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But it\u2019s an unconventional route compared to previous, U.S.-bound Asian transplants.\u00a0Whereas Hyundai and Toyota got a foothold in America with affordable, entry-level cars like Elantra and Corolla, VinFast will debut as an affordable luxury carmaker targeting powerful brands like BMW and Audi.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re coming into the U.S. market focused on offering premium quality at a reasonable price, and with outstanding customer service,\u201d said Deputy CEO of Global Marketing Emmanuel Bret. It\u2019s a sector that Bret knows well as former managing director for BMW Norway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the future when I was in Norway,\u201d said Bret. \u201cThe majority of new cars there are EV, and we saw tremendous customer satisfaction with EVs. Ninety percent of owners said they would buy an EV again as their next car.\u201d Norway has pushed the adoption of EVs by subsidizing 50% of sticker price by waiving import taxes and fees.<\/p>\n

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VinFast manufactured its first domestic car in 2019, a modified version of the BMW X5 SUV, and begins production on its three-row VF 9 and compact VF 8 later this year with planned delivery to the U.S. market in 2023. Emmanuel said the\u00a0the company is exploring a U.S. IPO to finance\u00a0its North Carolina manufacturing facility.<\/p>\n

VinFast is highly visible at the New York show, with a large stand neighboring Toyota, Kia\u00a0and Subaru. The VinFast VF 8 sports a twin-line graphic grille similar to a French\u00a0Citro\u00ebn\u00a0\u2014 interrupted by a V for VinFast. Exterior styling is conventional, but the interior is right out of the Tesla design book with a single console screen running the car.<\/p>\n