By Michael Imlay
SEMA's FutureTech Studio debuted last year and was an immediate hit with attendees eager to explore the wide range of emerging technologies transforming the aftermarket.
Maybe you're into classics or hot rods. Then again, maybe trucks or modern muscle are your scene--or perhaps even tuners or Teslas. But whatever industry sector you cater to as an aftermarket professional, the very nature of automotive transportation is rapidly changing. Thankfully, you can get a handle on the fluctuating currents at the 2024 SEMA FutureTech Studio, returning to Booth #24401 in the Show's Central Hall, November 5–8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. [Still need to register? Attendee, buyer and media registration for the 2024 SEMA Show has been open at semashow.com/register. Attendees can maximize their ROI by registering early and taking advantage of travel discounts like these and Show badge discounts. Registration is only $60 for qualified attendees who register by Friday, September 27. After, the price will increase to $120 per approved badge.]
"Obviously, everyone nowadays is focusing on powertrains and emissions and the continued viability of internal combustion engines [ICEs] in the coming decades," observes Andy Tompkins, SEMA trade show director. "But the industry is already feeling the impact of other trends as well, from new manufacturing techniques and materials to telematics and autonomous vehicles. While these present challenges to industry businesses, they also promise new opportunities. On a macro level, all this is reflected throughout the SEMA Show floor, but the FutureTech Studio condenses them all in one place for discovery, discussion and understanding."
All-Inclusive Innovation
In a turn of serendipity, the FutureTech Studio itself has evolved from a prior Show section, SEMA Electrified, which, until 2023, highlighted battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the developing infrastructure around them. The section was well received, but it also was becoming clear that today's aftermarket must keep pace with an ever-broadening array of alternative-propulsion scenarios. The industry is currently seeing tremendous leaps in cleaner fuels and engines, not to mention highly innovative approaches to car building that shave weight, speed production, and improve engine and vehicle performance.
While EVs seem to get all the press nowadays, the industry is stepping forward with cleaner ICE offerings to reduce carbon emissions. Developed through its industrial division, BluePrint Engine's Origin crate powerplant can run on gasoline, natural gas or propane.
"We wanted to shine a light on all the automotive industry's emerging technologies and demonstrate the inclusivity of everything the market offers," explains SEMA Director of Vehicle Technology Luis Morales, who curates the exhibit space. "In addition to renaming the section the SEMA FutureTech Studio, we greatly expanded the former SEMA Electrified section's content and its footprint on the Show floor. We also reserved a number of booths around the space for exhibitor companies developing and supplying products and tools related to future-focused technologies."
Morales says it's "been interesting and fun rebranding the space." For him, it's exciting to see all the research and creative thinking at play as legacy companies and bold new startups alike develop products and solutions for entirely new markets.
"The FutureTech Studio is now the heart of the SEMA Show's EV and Future Propulsion section," he says, adding that the rebranding also better reflects SEMA's all-inclusive position on clean propulsion. "We embrace battery electric, we understand it, and we want it to be a part of our Show; but we want to showcase it alongside other emerging forms of vehicle propulsion, like synthetic fuels, ethanol, natural gas, hydrogen and more."
In keeping with that philosophy, last year's exhibits encompassed a Toyota of North America/Kenworth commercial truck cab powered by hydrogen fuel-cell technology, hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG) engines, hybrids and synthetic fuel options, and ethanol conversion kits. In all, the FutureTech Studio occupied more than 22,000 sq. ft. and featured 50 displays addressing the latest powertrain and component trends, along with 29 vehicles representing a wide range of applications. There was even a solar-panel-equipped, fully electrified Lightship RV trailer that grabbed attendees with its futuristic design and versatility.
Morales promises that similar innovations will again be showcased this year through exciting vehicle builds, product displays and a variety of demonstrations right on the Show floor.
"We'll have representations of what's happening on the OEM side as well as the aftermarket side," he notes. Plus, attendees can also look forward to a few thought-provoking features that "rattle the cage" as well.
"Last year, we had people coming in from 2022 expecting our area to be all BEVs, like SEMA Electrified was, and asking, 'Why are all these ICE vehicles here?' But whether it's electrification or advanced fuels and powertrains, it's important for us to share all the technologies that are emerging, including new manufacturing materials and methods, as well as ever-more complex onboard systems.
"We want to make sure that our industry is aware of all these different tools and resources," Morales continues. "Maybe the folks using them today are OEMs and tier ones, and those resources may not be available to me as a business this year or next. But in three or four years down the road, they might be something that applies to my product development."
In fact, Morales believes Show attendees have much to gain from exploring the range of invention taking place. At the very least, it will help them future-proof their current businesses--and may even spark new ideas for growth.
"I would say a large percentage of SEMA members are all making products for ICEs and a small percentage are making them purely for BEVs," he explains.
"There are some universals that carry over to both vehicle types, but looking at the powertrain alone, you have this big gap between the two. Still, there's a lot of innovation that can be had with ICE. What's special about the technology that they're developing right now? How is it going to impact the industry? And what does it mean for the aftermarket? Seeing and understanding all this can help our industry evolve and continue to make products that push the market forward."
Sparking New Business Ideas
Alex Parker, president of Redline Detection, is among those already finding opportunities in the rapidly developing electric vehicle (EV) space. Last year, Redline leveraged the FutureTech Studio to debut its new Battery + Coolant Leak Detector that connects to an EV's battery enclosure. The detector gives audible and visual pass/fail leakage alerts tailored to each battery and vehicle type. The product is designed to protect vehicle shops, workers and their customers from the catastrophic risks of compromised EV batteries.
"Our approach [to the EV space] is not an 'either/or.' EVs are just one more innovation that we need to learn how to work on," Parker explains. "My company has been a leader in diagnostic leak detection in naturally aspirated and boosted high-pressure diagnostics both on the OEM side and in the aftermarket. We reached a point that we had to make a decision about when to invest in developing EV diagnostic technology."
EV conversion products are a growing industry market. New kits are making such conversions easier than ever and opening new revenue streams for shops and builders.
In Parker's view, why wouldn't any aftermarket business want to try to meet the challenges of a new and growing market? "Quite honestly, it was a little scary because we weren't sure the market was there," she admits, "but I really believe that people in our industry are innovators at heart."
As it turns out, Redline's entry into the market did indeed find a receptive audience at last year's Show.
Another rapidly growing area of opportunity for the aftermarket is EV conversions, with multiple brands now offering specialized kits and components for builders.
"Over the past several years, there's been exponential growth in this market," Morales points out. "What started several years back as finding a wrecked Tesla or Nissan Leaf and salvaging and fitting their powertrain components into a classic vehicle has morphed into companies offering full turnkey solutions."
This means that builders, customizers and even hobbyists can now purchase entire conversion packages consisting of electric motors, batteries and battery management systems, controls, wiring and other essentials.
"In many cases, these kits are direct-fit, so if you have a '69 Mustang, you can buy a kit specific to your need," notes Morales. "You don't have to find a battery pack here, an electric motor there, and then hope you can figure out a way to connect them and make them all communicate with each other."
As demonstrated last year by companies like Tremec, Legacy EV and Scorpion EV, the kits also take the vexation out of a conversion's more daunting tasks. "Several years back it could take you months of R&D and fabrication to mount a Tesla motor into that '69 Mustang and balance everything out. But these companies are bringing solutions to market that enable the conversion in mere hours--or less," explains Morales.
"In Scorpion's case, they're packaging everything in a single unit that you can drop into the engine bay and even remove easily if you ever want to convert back to ICE. They're essentially selling you a self-contained electric crate motor."
In fact, Scorpion's less-than-90-minute Venom conversion of a Factory Five Shelby Cobra replica on the Show floor so wowed the crowd and Show officials that the car won the SEMA's first-ever Best Engineered Vehicle award.
Scorpion EV's Shelby Cobra replica conversion captured the Show’s first-ever Best Engineered Vehicle award. Pictured are Scorpion CEO Bill Cardoso, who engineered the Venom conversion kit, and Scorpion Vice President of Business Development Karen Salvaggio.
"Venom is a sealed, contained plug-and-play system. There's no high-voltage wiring to play with," explained Scorpion EV Vice President of Business Development Karen Salvaggio after the demonstration. "You just literally pull your internal combustion engine out and drop this in. If you don't want to lose your stick shift, it will run with the standard transmission."
A One-Stop Place of Learning
In addition to showcasing live EV conversions on the Show floor, this year's FutureTech Studio will again include an education stage with speakers and seminars probing a multitude of topics.
A live education stage returns to the section for 2024. Moderated seminars and talks help explicate the trends and technologies displayed on the Show floor, along with the new opportunities they bring industry businesses of all types.
"We're bringing in a lot of experts who were previously part of the closed-door education at the Show, and many of them will complement our booth exhibits," says Morales. "Moderated sessions will discuss all sorts of emerging technologies and how they're moving the automotive industry forward, specifically from an aftermarket perspective. I really enjoy it when we can connect education with the displays and demonstrations in the section. It helps attendees put one and one together."
More importantly, Morales sees the FutureTech Studio as a way to excite traditional SEMA Show attendees while cementing the Show's position at the leading edge of automotive trends. The studio's exhibits also underscore SEMA's commitment to protecting the right to modify vehicles--even today's increasingly complex and computerized platforms. The studio also demonstrates the significant commitment and pioneering strides the aftermarket is making toward emissions reduction, regardless of vehicle type. Turbocharging advocates will find themselves just as much at home among the clean-ICE displays as EV proponents will among the conversion kits.
"We're expanding on what we've always done," Morales emphasizes. "The Show is known for spotlighting new industry tools and products. With the FutureTech Studio, we're making it clear to OEMs and industry companies that the SEMA Show is also the place for them to debut breakthrough technologies and grab the attention of industry professionals, media, advocates and even lawmakers. This is a vibrant space where your idea will get the attention it deserves."
Morales takes his role in building an interactive environment seriously. Although futuristic in look and feel, the exhibit area will also feature plenty of content to entice the veteran Show attendee—albeit with new and interesting twists.
"We'll have classic and late-model cars and trucks with lots of interesting accessories and individual components--last year, we even had e-bikes," he says. "We're taking bits from every Show section—hot rods, wheels and tires, off-road, high-performance—and combining them in one place with revolutionary technologies. We design the area to advance an attendee's understanding, introduce them to multiple vehicle applications, and make it easy to talk with vendors and share ideas."
Connecting Exhibitors and Attendees
Lightship RV Co-Founder Ben Parker said that the spirit of collaboration was an unexpected, added benefit last year when his company signed up to exhibit its fully electric, solar-charged trailer. Parker and his startup partner Toby Kraus left Tesla hoping to revolutionize the overlanding space. The result of their collaboration is the L1 tow trailer. Energized by rooftop solar panels, the unit also features an electric motor that can sync with an EV truck to reduce drag, extending the toy hauler's range. In a pinch, the trailer can also recharge an EV or even power a small home. The trailer generated a lot of interest and valuable feedback from Show attendees, and Parker found his discussions and sharing of ideas with other exhibitors especially helpful.
The futuristic, fully electrified Lightship RV trailer wowed attendees with its design and utility. The vehicle includes its own onboard electric motor to help offset drag and increase range when towed by a BEV truck.
"We've been to other shows for our market, but [the SEMA Show] is the biggest and a dream come true for us to be here with our RV," he explained at the time. With plans to start production and go to market within a year, "being at the SEMA Show now is a huge deal for us."
Meanwhile, Chad Hrencecin of Electrified Garage was among the numerous buyers checking out the section in 2023 and was enthused to find several innovations for his Ocala, Florida-based EV repair operation. "A lot of people are realizing [EV and alternate fuels] are not going away. We've been working with Legacy EV, Torque Trends and a lot of companies that are here to make new conversions and one-off projects," he explained. A self-described "off-roader guy," he was especially impressed by an EV-conversion sand rail featuring a VW off-road chassis. "I haven't seen anything like that before," he emphasized.
This is exactly the sort of impact Morales hopes the FutureTech Studio will have on 2024 SEMA Show exhibitors and attendees.
"Our goal with this space is to facilitate networking and education," he sums up. "Again, we want to give attendees a concentrated space to explore our industry's future. We want them to walk away feeling inspired by what they see. Maybe even say, 'Wow, I learned something and can see my business doing that.' That's what drives us forward."