L.A. Auto Show recap: EVs, startups and turning screens

The Los Angeles Auto Show came back to life with more than a dozen debuts of vehicles, concepts and variants from automakers. Here's a recap of the major news:

Vietnamese startup VinFast debuted two electric concepts here, officially launching its global brand in the U.S. The crossovers shown on Wednesday are previews of upcoming models.

Hyundai Motor North America's U.S. investments in electric vehicle manufacturing will be greatly influenced by the structure of federal incentives for EVs, CEO Jose Muñoz said in an interview.

LOS ANGELES -- The auto show circuit was undergoing lots of disruption and evaluation before COVID-19 and the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show is no exception.

Only the second major U.S. show, after Chicago in August, to be staged as the world emerges from the pandemic, Los Angeles is notable as much for the no-shows as this year's official exhibitors, or, as show organizers call them, participants.

Two of the most valuable automakers in the world – namely Tesla, and now Rivian, both EV makers – have skipped the show. They are joined by Lucid Motors, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Mini as missing in action.

But there are Teslas here; the ZEVAS Electrify America stand has a Model 3, S and Y on display.
 

While Chevrolet is on the main floor in the South Hall, with a major presence for the Corvette Z06, there is no sign of General Motors’ Buick, Cadillac and GMC brands. Audi is also missing from the show floor but conducting test drives right outside one of the main exhibit halls, as is Mini.

Among Asia brands, Acura, Genesis and Mitsubishi are missing. And three brands – Honda, Volvo and Mazda – are on the floor with a big assist from Galpin Motors, a Southern California dealership group. And then there are the upstarts or restarts, such as Vietnam’s VinFast, Fisker and Mullen, with smaller footprints on the floor.

Kia's first vehicle on a dedicated electric vehicle platform — the EV6 — is not scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships until early next year, but the automaker is already hinting at its next electric crossover with the EV9 concept.

Hyundai's Seven concept previews elements the brand may bring to a three-row electric crossover in 2024, with a loungelike interior, ultrafast charging and targeted range of over 300 miles.

Perhaps the most intriguing — and California-appropriate — element of the Fisker Ocean is the giant touch screen that rotates into "Hollywood mode." The first 5,000 Fisker Ocean crossovers — set to begin production a year from today — will be priced at the top of the range, $68,999 before tax credits and destination fees, though base models start at $37,499.

The 2022 Toyota bZ4X midsize EV crossover will go on sale in the spring in the U.S. as the brand's re-entry into the electric vehicle space with an estimated range of up to 250 miles, an enhanced suite of driver assistance and safety features

Porsche introduced two sportier variants of its battery powered sports car — the Taycan GTS sedan and Taycan GTS Sport Turismo — on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Fisker hosted a “secret” pre-reveal of its Ocean EV Tuesday night. More than 100 people showed up, including the mayor of Manhattan Beach.

The Los Angeles Auto Show is back following a break last year because of the coronavirus pandemic and automakers will showcase more than a dozen electric vehicles, concepts and model variations.