Consumer tastes may change with the seasons, but one thing that remains constant within the automotive aftermarket is the ongoing popularity of the annual New Products Showcase at the SEMA Show. A must-see for all attendees and a first stop for most, the Showcase hosts thousands of new products each year, and it provides insights into the new directions the aftermarket is proceeding and which markets present the best opportunities for future growth.

By the end of the ’60s, Parnelli Jones had earned an enviable driving record across multiple forms of motorsports. From Indianapolis to Pikes Peak and midgets to Trans Am, he had won races, set records and earned championships. About the only place his take-no-prisoners driving style didn’t result in trophies was in the desert.

It’s exciting to see the progress industry investments in business technology have yielded in the last decade. For example, we’ve seen additive manufacturing and computer-aided design dramatically reducing product development iterations, speeding up time to market and saving time and money.

Anyone following the headlines knows that the automotive industry is entering an era of transformation, with virtually every major automaker now intent on vehicle electrification. Add to that the rapid deployment of advanced driver-assistance and related autonomous driving technologies, and it’s easy to believe that a brave new world of green transportation is barreling toward us. But are the headlines overly optimistic? How fast will industry transformation come? What challenges or opportunities will today’s emerging technologies pose for the aftermarket?