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Traditional auto shows such as Frankfurt, Tokyo and Detroit used to be the global touchpoints where the global auto industry gathered to commemorate its progress.Executives, analysts and even journalists were dressed in formal attire, and automakers spent millions on press conferences that lasted minutes.International auto shows are a big deal.At least for some people.But in recent years, legacy auto shows have been running out of gas, on their way to recycling yards, just as many gas-filled sedans and coupes have been towed to various Pick-Yer-Part wrecking yards.
Regardless of past auto shows, a new all-electric “electric car event” called Electrify Expo appears to be taking off.
Last weekend’s event in Long Beach, Calif., was the first of five such events nationwide this year, with similar gatherings to follow in Seattle, New York, Miami and Austin.There were only three such shows last year – this year there are five, so, it’s growing.The idea is to be a place where we can show not only the electric future of cars, but also all kinds of “electric vehicle solutions” and even test drives or rides, depending on.
“Electrify Expo is the largest EV event in North America,” reads the show’s marketing materials.“This is an outdoor weekend festival showcasing the best of electric vehicles such as electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, electric bicycles, electric scooters, electric skateboards and electric surfboards. Attendees will experience test drives from the world’s leading brands, New product launches and future technologies.”
It’s all about advertising manager BJ Birtwell, who started an advertising agency called The Armory 13 years ago after his stint at SEMA and is president and owner of TORC (Off-Road Championship Series), which specializes in dirt Racing If you judge by the demo reel, it appears to be a truck that rolls over in the air in slow motion most of the time.
It’s not just a small effort.The season at Long Beach kicked off with show-sized displays from Chrysler, Kia, Lexus, Lucid, Toyota, Polestar, Porsche, Volvo and Volkswagen to name some of the major brands.There are also smaller brands looking to break into the big leagues, such as Aptera, Arcimoto, ElectraMeccanica and GEM (remember them?).In addition to this, there are countless e-bike makers, almost as many e-scooter makers, several e-skateboard makers, and at least two companies offering e-surfboard products.
“Early adopters are risk tolerant. E-curious are more risk averse and seek out brands with proven track records. This is a huge opportunity for ‘traditional’ brands.”
Traditional big-name automakers show off their electric offerings — or if they don’t already have a BEV hybrid model — you’ve seen all of them on these pages, by the way.Meanwhile, smaller mobility solution providers each made a case for their place in this brave new world of electronics.
“You know why? It’s because the #EV industry has moved beyond the early adopter stage and into the first tier of e-curious consumers who need extra reassurance. The early adopters are risk-tolerant. The e-curious are more risk averse, And look for brands with a proven track record. This is a huge opportunity for ‘traditional’ brands,” Birkwell said.
It’s certainly not like the IAA in Frankfurt.No serious executives and entourage all wear dark suits and try not to say anything that would get them fired.
“We’re the antithesis of an auto show,” said Berkwell, riding his electric bike in Long Beach.”We’re a mobile festival. The vibe here is something you can’t replicate in a traditional car show box.”
In fact, the Long Beach auto show is mostly held outdoors, making it easier to offer test rides on everything from the Kia Niro to electric skateboards.
Electric vehicle solutions are plentiful these days, and here are some of our favorites from Electrify Expo.Read on and rethink what it takes to get from one place to another.
For years, we’ve been hearing about these coming, almost ready, coming to dealerships?If you go back far enough, it’s been 25 years – that is, if you think Corbin Sparrow is the ancestor of ElectraMeccanica Solo.twenty-five years.
The Solo is a single-seater, all-electric, three-wheeled commuter vehicle that could change or add transportation options in the future.Electrify Expo parked several Solo.You can even take one for a test drive.
“We believe that by the end of the year, we will be producing vehicles in Mesa, Arizona,” a spokesman said.”We have hundreds of millions in the bank. We started delivering cars last October.”
“We built 170 Solo vehicles during the quarter, 45 of which were delivered to some very excited customers,” CEO Kevin Pavlov said in the transcript of the first-quarter 2021 earnings call. Net loss for the quarter was just under $18 million, while working capital at the end of the quarter was over $215 million and cash balance was over $194 million.”
The company has produced more than 400 Solo units so far, and is still on track to bring the Mesa manufacturing plant online by the end of the year, Pavlov said.The Solo starts at $18,500 and uses a 17.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery with a range of “up to” 100 miles (“depending on how you drive it.”).
We’ve seen Arcimotos since at least 2016, when the Oregon company showed off some at CES that year.The basic craft has three wheels and two electric motors.Two of the wheels are in front – they are controlled and driven by two electric motors.Some of the many configurations are: two-seater tandem semi-enclosed, two-seater convertible “sports car”, “flatbed” agricultural and work vehicle, and now “delivery man”.
It features a seat and lockable storage behind the driver.Range is listed as 102 miles in the city, with a top speed of 75 mph.The two-seat roll-cage fun utility vehicle starts at $17,900, while the website says the Deliverator starts at $25,000.For that, you can get a really nice used small pickup or a battered Nissan NV200.But these might not be as fun, and they won’t be electric.
The electric scooter company is hugely popular, at least in part because of a fierce marketing campaign showing beautiful young people having fun on their Super 73 electric scooters.I tried one at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and got around town avoiding the traffic for a week.You have all the goodness of a motorcycle, but with a lot of horsepower.Otherwise, you can park anywhere, enter any traffic hole, and dodge The Man more easily.Mine is a simple model for about $1500, but as you can see here, there are more stylish options.
“Look for freedom. Take flite,” the slogan said.Fliteboard is like your own personal electric hydrofoil.You stand on it, press the start button on the handheld accelerator, and the board rises out of the water like those America’s Cup thwarted catamarans, only it’s the size of a boogie board.Just $13,000 plus shipping.The range lasts from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the battery you get.
If the Fliteboard’s 13 Grand is a bit out of your budget, consider Boost Surfing fins.For $399, it only takes five minutes to screw into a surfboard’s fin case.The small propeller in the fin will run for 1 hour or 45 minutes, depending on how much you turn it on.Most surfers are sitting there waiting for the waves, so you can turn it off and save juice when you park.See a wave, turn it on, and Boost gets you moving.Big collection catches you?Open it up and be the only one outside who doesn’t get crushed.This can extend the surf life of many older surfers.Buy yours on the website.Gives you extra confidence.
This looks interesting.Evolve has been designing and manufacturing electric skateboards for 13 years.The company is headquartered in Australia and has significant operations in the US, including our headquarters in Southern California, where we see them.
At Electrify Expo, Evolve showed off its fifth-generation board Hadean.It is available as an on- or off-road product with corresponding all-terrain or street wheels.The company claims Hadean offers 25 miles of range on all-terrain rubber and up to 40 miles on street wheels.Top speed is “up to 31 mph”.Prices range from $1400 to $2150, and it even offers regenerative braking.You carry a handheld remote and make it go forward and brake.
Does anyone remember the Lloyd Bridge TV show Sea Hunt?In it Bridges plays Mike Nelson, a former U.S. Navy diver who now takes on the bad guys in Davy Jones’ locker.In addition to the underwater knife fights in each episode, the show features the small hand-held motorized sea tug that Nelson uses to move under the waves.Now that such a thing is over, is it only left to the Bond villain in the movie?Do not!Now there’s Seabob, which does the same thing for about $10,000.Never mind that Yamaha makes something very similar, you can get it at West Marine for $499.The manufacturer claims that the Seabob is the fastest.
The 77-pound underwater towing unit has a 48-volt electric motor that can tow you underwater at speeds in excess of 13 mph.It will reportedly go to a depth of 131 feet.
Made in China and distributed from Ontario, California, the “M1 2000w Electric Fat Tire Scooter Chopper Citycoco”, as it’s officially called in the catalog, will guarantee you the coolest pitbike in Daytona next year, or the most impressive mini Ride Sturgis, or the best electric scooter in the entire junior high, depending on your specific situation.
The 2000-watt motor is backed by a removable 60V/20Ah lithium-ion battery and is claimed to have a range of 40 miles and a top speed of 35 mph.They can’t claim if it’s not true, can it?It can even carry a 400-pound rider on the fat 12-inch tires in the back.It has front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, saddlebags and a speaker for playing music while cruising.It has a high and low beam, parking lights, turn signals and a phone holder with a USB charging port.Two gauges show charge status, speed and odo.Just like a motorcycle, you can shift three forward gears using the up/down foot lever.If that doesn’t make your life dynamic, the SoverSky has many other electric options.
Remember GEM?They built all of the neighborhood EVs that Chrysler sells, trying to meet a ZEV requirement.Polestar took them from Chrysler in 2016 and owned them until last year.Now, a new company called Waev owns GEM and showcased two new energy vehicles at the expo.The distributor for these products is PAPÉ Material Handling.
Depending on your budget and range requirements, you can get GEMs with two, four or six seats powered by lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries.The largest will reach 90 miles, GEM says.With pricing ranging from $15,000 to $40,000, “it’s all duped,” including the stereo, windows and doors.
We’ve driven some Teslas tuned by Unplugged Performance.They look great and perform better.Some UP cars have lap records at Buttonwillow.Others look just like them.Unplugged Performance has speed parts for every Tesla made, and they plan to launch a Cybertruck.At Electrify Expo, they showcased parts for the latest Model S Plaid and Long Range models – everything from suspension to aero accessories.”We have a lot of new products and a lot of customers,” said a staff member at the Unplugged Performance booth.”Two NASCAR guys were customers, and a lot of others. They found Tesla so fast they almost had to get them.”
Are you ready – or at least thinking about – a new way to get from point A to point B?Please share your thoughts below.