AUTO FANS PICK VEGAS OVER DETROIT.
As Detroit gears up for one of the biggest annual events in the auto industry, it could be forgiven for feeling that Las Vegas already stole the show.
The headlines out of last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas were dominated, once again, by automotive technology: General Motors Co. announced a US$500-million investment in ride-sharing company Lyft Inc., with the goal of creating a network of on-demand, selfdriving cars; Volkswagen AG demonstrated a gesture-controlled infotainment system; Ford Motor Co. said it will expand its fleet of self-driving test cars while showing off the latest in radar technology.
But CES really stuck it to the Detroit Auto Show when GM chief executive Mary Barra showed up to unveil the production version of Chevrolet’s new electric vehicle, the Bolt.
In- vehicle software and self- driving cars may be the realm of CES, but product launches are supposed to be the bread and butter of the North American International Auto Show, which opens to the press on Monday.
“There were at least two big product reveals from manufacturers, things that would normally be reserved for an auto show,” said Ron Montoya, senior editor at automotive website Edmunds. com, who attended CES and plans to skip Detroit.
First held in New York in 1967, CES has always been about the latest electronic gadgets. The impressive list of products that debuted at CES includes the VCR in 1970, the CD player in 1981, DVDs in 1996 and HDTV in 1998.
Lately, though, the most buzz- worthy events haven’t been about entertainment, but about transportation.
And as the auto industry hovers on the cusp of a generation-defining technological shift toward connected and autonomous cars, an electronics show is starting to feel like the natural place for automakers to see and be seen.
“The announcements are more exciting ( at CES), they offer more glimpses into the future, whereas if you go to Detroit it’s just, ‘ Hey, what’s new with this model?’” Montoya said. “It’s also a chance to potentially get a younger buyer, to reach a different audience and to show off how high- tech you are.”
CES also appeals to automotive suppliers, which are generally left out of the Detroit Auto Show.
“Detroit is not for suppliers, it’s a show for the public and the public doesn’t care about who the suppliers are,” said Egil Juliussen, research director and principal analyst at research firm IHS Automotive Technology. “( CES) has become the place where you announce things because you get more attention here than anywhere else.”
This is leaving industry analysts and reporters with a dilemma: attend CES, attend the Detroit Auto Show, or suck it up and go to both in an exhausting two- week whirlwind? “I despise Vegas with a passion … but it’s almost like you’ve just got to bite the bullet and be there because of the buzz and the releases,” said Richard Wallace, director of transportation systems analysis at the Center for Automotive Research.
Wallace skipped CES this year and will be in Detroit for the auto show, but said next year he may have to revise his plans and attend CES too.
That’s not to say there won’t be anything new in Detroit this year. Edmunds.com analyst Ivan Drury said he ex- pects several brands to launch new luxury flagship models that will form the basis of future mainstream products.
“It’s not top- rung, toptier stuff, but it’s definitely up there, really showing a lot of these brands’ design language and future vehicle design,” Drury said, adding that he’s particularly looking forward to seeing Porsche’s new 911 Turbo, Hyundai’s Genesis G90, Volvo’s S90 and Ford’s Lincoln Continental.