LIASE Group Attends the 2015 Edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show and the Connected Car Expo

Summary: The LIASE Group’s John Bukowicz, Managing Director for the Americas, Vanessa Moriel, Managing Director Asia, and Vic H. Doolan, Non-Executive Member of the Board, attended the 2015 edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show and the Connected Car Expo from November 17 to 19.

Article: The Los Angeles Auto Show is the first Major auto show of the season in North America every year. The 2015 edition kicked off with the Connected Car Expo (CCE), followed by the vehicle debuts and the press and trade events. The LIASE Group’s John Bukowicz, Managing Director for the Americas, Vanessa Moriel, Managing Director Asia, and Vic H. Doolan, Non-Executive Member of the Board, were all in attendance.

This was the third edition of the CCE, which has been a meeting point for connected car executives and business leaders since its inception. This year’s event focused on:

• – The future of self-driving cars
• – Phone-car interfaces
• – Automotive technology start-ups
• – Automotive data and analytics for marketing
• – Car sharing
• – The Automotive applications of 3D printing
• – Infotainment
• – Automotive cybersecurity

While the automotive leaders assembled for the conference all agreed that the future of the automotive car industry will be shaped by seld-driving cars, they also outlined a number of problems with autonomous cars as they are now designed.

• – They are unable to respond to police officers giving them orders and direction. This could lead to problems in a situation where the light is green, but a police officer is telling the car to stop, for example.

 

• – The cameras, lasers, radars, and computers that allow cars to navigate the streets still can’t match human brans when it comes to evaluating dangers, often coming to an emergency stop for no reason.

 

• – They have difficulty navigating around traffic hazards such as traffic cones and construction zones, where there are temporary lane markers on top of permanent lines.

Nevertheless speakers at the conference were confident about the future of connected car technologies.

The speaking list featured an impressive number of global automotive connectivity leaders, including:

• – Thomas Form, Electronics & Vehicle Research, Volkswagen;
• – Brian Droessler, VP of Software & Connected Solutions, Continental;
• – Gary O’Brien, Global Director Advanced Engineering, Delphi;
• – Evan Malahy, Design Lead, Android Auto;
• – Lars Boeryd, Director of Automotive Marketing, Qualcomm;
• – Paul Asel, Managing Partner, Nokia Growth Partners;
• – Alicia Agius, GoDrive Project Lead, Ford of Europe;
• – Matt Jones, Head of Future Infotainment, Jaguar Land Rover;
• – Frankie James, Managing Director, Advanced Tech Office, General Motors Silicon Valley;
• – Nick Sugimoto, Program Director, Honda Silicon Valley Lab;
• – Ned Curic, CTO, Toyota Motor Sales;
• – Chris Valasek, Security Lead, Uber Advanced Technology; and,
• – Arwed Niestroj, CEO, Research & Development North America, Mercedez-Benz.

While Los Angeles can’t be compared to larger shows for new car launches and announcements, the 2015 edition nevertheless offered plenty of excitement. And since LA is the land of movie stars, palm trees, and picturesque drives along the coast, convertibles were on full show.

World production model debuts included the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, the Hyundai Elantra, the Fiat 124 Spider, the Mazda CX-9, Mercedez’ reworked SL-Class and GLS-Class, as well as the new Subary Impreza sedan concept.

Green cars and environmental issues also drew their fair part of attention at the event. The 2016 Chevrolet Volt was named Green Car of the year at the event. Meanwhile, the Volkswagen scandal was being widely discussed by executives and automotive leaders assembled on the show floor and in the backstage.

As always, the event was a great opportunity for the LIASE Group to keep abreast of the latest automotive trends and network with some of the auto industry’s most exciting leaders and engineers.

The LIASE Group’s John Bukowicz, Managing Director for the Americas, and Vanessa Moriel, Managing Director Asia, pose at the Ford Booth of the LA Auto Show.

The LIASE Group’s John Bukowicz, Managing Director for the Americas (left), Vanessa Moriel, Managing Director Asia (right) and Vic H. Doolan, Non-Executive Member of the Board, take a picture at the LA Auto Show.

Lyft Inc., co-founder and president, John Zimmer, speaking during the Connected Car Expo at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 17, 2015.

The new Mazda CX-9 which was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show reworked its crossover both in style and under the hood, with a new 2.5-liter turbocharged engine. The three-row crossover was widely praised for its design.

The second-generation Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid was named “Green Car of the Year,” edging out the Audi A3 E-Tron, the new Toyota Prius, the Hyundai Sonata and the Honda Civic. The Chevy Volt was apparently chosen for its fuel economy and range. The Volt can go 53 miles range on electric power alone and 420 miles on gas and battery power.

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible fit perfectly with the mood in sunny California. Although the convertible crossover might not be for everyone, it might find its niche as a lifestyle car in the wealthier parts of LA.

Hyundai unveiled the 6th generation Elantra at the show. The reworked model uses high-end steel to lower its weight, overhauled the suspension to improve performance and reduced noise in the cabin through various means.

Fiat unveiled the new 124 Spider at the LA Auto Show. The flashy roadster is a bid to increase Fiat’s profile in North America. Fiat actually collaborated with Mazda to design the car, meaning that the overall look of the car is very similar to the Mazda MX-5 Miata.

The new Mercedes GLS replaces the GL-Class SUV. The seven-seater is fitted with a massive engine, a redesigned front end plenty of goodies on the inside. Mercedes is rumored to be working on a Mayback SUV as well.

The Subaru Impreza Sedan Concept is an American-friendly version of the Impreza 5-Door Concept that had been presented earlier at the Tokyo auto show.