The trend started in November, when organizers of the Los Angeles auto show branched beyond their traditional format and attempted to recast the annual event as a mobility-related trade show called AutoMobility LA. The evolution of the auto industry’s annual showcases continues in January, when organizers of the North American International Auto Show introduce a similar new focus.
No, they’re not changing the name of NAIAS in the Motor City, but they are adding an expo, called AutoMobili-D, at which startup companies will detail their transportation innovations. Show organizers announced a full roster of companies participating earlier this week, and it includes some 50 firms, most of which already are working with global automakers and suppliers to bring their technologies to production.
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“These companies are fueling the innovation . . . They recognize the importance of being present at the center of the automotive industry.” — Ted Serbinski, Techstars Mobility
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That list includes Mapbox, a global provider of mapping platforms for developers that has worked with fleet analytics and is producing topology data for self-driving vehicles, and PolySync of Portland, Oregon, maker of a middleware platform that helps developers rapidly design and test autonomous-vehicle technology. Both companies opened offices in Detroit within the past few months to work more closely with automakers.
“These companies are fueling the innovation that is part of the massive change of the auto industry shift to the mobility industry,” said Ted Serbinski, managing director of Techstars Mobility, a transportation-focused business incubator headquartered in Detroit. “They recognize the importance of being present at the center of the automotive industry.”
For Detroit, the expo isn’t just a means of staying level with Los Angeles but distinguishing itself from the CES electronics show in Las Vegas, which has become a magnet in recent years for automotive-technology-related demonstrations. (Indeed, a recent report says Fiat Chrysler won’t debut a new product in Detroit, instead focusing on CES.) CES runs from January 5–8 in Las Vegas; AutoMobili-D begins January 8 and runs through January 12, with the traditional auto show open to the public between January 14 and 22.
Although the 50 startups will include companies from around the globe, there will be a Midwest bent. Two companies working closely with Ford on autonomous- and connected-vehicle projects are slated to be part of the showcase. Civil Maps, a provider of 3D-mapping technology for fully autonomous vehicles, received an investment from Ford in September. Chicago-based HAAS Alert aims to provide alerts on emergency vehicles to drivers via onboard connections and is working on a pilot project with Ford based in Detroit.
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