Automakers have supercharged their electrification ambitions.
Today’s manufacturers increasingly call themselves “mobility solutions providers” as they look to make products that go beyond shuttling people from Point A to Point B.
Instead, today’s automakers want to tackle traffic in cities, how they can play a part in e-commerce logistics and reducing vehicles’ environmental impact.
Orange County’s automotive landscape is a mix of heritage automakers with traditional gasoline-powered vehicle lineups and electric vehicle startups looking to muscle their way into the consumer and commercial markets.
Here’s a brief overview of the near- and longer-term targets the local industry and its parent companies have set for themselves when it comes to electrification and, more specifically, how they plan to get there.
1. Genesis Motor America
HEADQUARTERS: 10550 Talbert Ave., Fountain Valley
THE STRATEGY: “Futuring Genesis”
GOAL: Carbon neutral by 2035, with zero emissions by 2030
GAMEPLAN:
• Parent company revealed first dedicated electric, the GV60 SUV.
• New vehicles to be electric beginning in 2025.
• EV offering to total eight, with annual worldwide sales target of 400,000 vehicles.
2. Kia America
HEADQUARTERS: 111 Peters Canyon Road, Irvine
THE STRATEGY: “Plan S”
GOAL: Green vehicles to comprise 40% of total sales by 2030; electric sales of 880,000 in 2030 (globally)
GAMEPLAN:
• 11 new electrics by 2026.
• Subscription program, named Kia Subscription, to go global.
• Purpose-built vehicles (e.g. autonomous taxis, last-mile delivery
vehicles) to total 1 million by 2030.
3. Hyundai Motor America
HEADQUARTERS: 10550 Talbert Ave., Fountain Valley
THE STRATEGY: “Progress for Humanity”
GOAL: Carbon neutral by 2045 (for parent’s global operations, products)
GAMEPLAN:
• 30% of global vehicle sales to be zero-emission vehicles; 80% of fleet sales to be battery electric or fuel cell electrics by 2040.
• Working with Motional on driverless taxi program in partnership with Lyft that’s set to launch in 2023.
4. Mazda North
American Operations
HEADQUARTERS: 200 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine
THE STRATEGY: “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030”
GOAL: Carbon neutral by 2050
GAMEPLAN:
• New electric platform called SKYACTIV EV Scalable Architecture to be revealed in 2025.
• Vehicles built on new platform will include five hybrids, five plug-in hybrids and three EVs, with rollouts slated between 2022 and 2025 for mostly Japan, Europe, U.S., China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets.
• Entire product portfolio to have some element of electrification by 2030, with EVs accounting for 25% of mix by 2030.
• Debuted first electric in the MX-30 crossover in the fall; California first market to get it.
• Lineup will also include plug-in hybrid and rotary generator for MX-30, a plug-in hybrid for “new large platform” and a hybrid crossover model to be made in the U.S.
5. Karma Automotive
HEADQUARTERS: 9950 Jeronimo Road, Irvine
GOAL: Joined in April The Climate Pledge to become net carbon neutral by 2040
GAMEPLAN:
• Unveiled a new affordable line for consumers, called the GS-6 Series. First model, the battery electric sedan named GS-6.
• Business-to-business engineering,
manufacturing services fall under the new umbrella named “Powered by Karma.”
• Inked manufacturing agreement with AYRO Inc. to make light-duty electric
vehicles.
6. Rivian Automotive
HEADQUARTERS: 14600 Myford Road, Irvine
GOAL: Company founder RJ Scaringe said brand “exists to create products and services that help our planet transition to carbon neutral energy and transportation”
GAMEPLAN:
• Near-term electric lineup to focus on truck, SUV and delivery vehicles; expected to expand beyond that in the future.
• Began deliveries of first-ever consumer vehicle, the R1T truck, in mid-September; R1S SUV to follow in December.
• Struck deal with Amazon in 2019 for 100,000 electric delivery vans
