Automobility LA, once billed as the Los Angeles Auto Show press days, kicks off this week at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year the auto show has rebranded itself as all about the future — but what kind of future that will be after the unexpected outcome of the presidential election is uncertain. The stakes are high as the industry is on the precipice of introducing self-driving cars, implementing better fuel economy standards, and increasing its presence in China.
It’s a week likely to be suffused with irony, awkwardness, and many questions after the recent turn of events and the many ways a Trump presidency could alter the transportation landscape. The Automobility show has been marketed as the show that brought together “everyone that matters: Automakers, tech executives, disruptors, entrepreneurs, investors, designers, developers, dealers, government officials.” Panel topics include autonomy, cyber security, and flying cars; no one knows exactly where a Trump administration lands on these issues. From what he said at the campaign trail, Trump’s vision seems to be looking back in some ways, while the auto industry is barreling toward the future.
In what was likely planned as a So-Cal move to tap into CES mojo and for LA to differentiate itself from the North American International Auto Show held in Detroit in January, Automobility is more poised to show how carmakers adapt their strategies on the fly. In the days leading up to the show, the organizers say the agenda will go on as planned.
“It is very difficult to predict how a Trump Administration will affect the auto industry.”
However, the mood among auto executives attending Automobility and speaking to the press, undoubtedly, will be one of uncertainty. Trump has offered very few definitive plans and it is unclear which of his rash remarks during the campaign will come to fruition. Even analysts are cautious about speculation. “There are many unknowns so it is very difficult to predict how a Trump administration will affect the auto industry,” Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst for AutoTrader told me.