CES 2020 - THE GLOBAL STAGE FOR INNOVATION

CES 2020 - Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - EVHNews.com (2020)

CES 2020 - THE GLOBAL STAGE FOR INNOVATION

Photo overview gathered and presented by Electric Vehicles & Hybrid News managing editor Edmund Jenks (2020).

- CES 2020 Photo Album -

Hyundai Vertical Lift Aircraft - Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - EVHNews.com (2020)

CES is the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers.

Future-Focused Automakers Turning to Startups

CES 2020 cemented its role as the most important show for automotive technology, with a handful of new car introductions (and re-introductions) plus lots of standalone technologies this week. Most US auto shows other than perhaps LA don’t generate a critical mass of tech-oriented auto company people, analysts, and journalists. CES certainly did.

HIGHLIGHT:

SONY Vision-S: Asymmetric Effort In Mobility Solutions From E-Technology Giant

Automakers are preparing for the future of mobility by investing in and partnering with all sorts of technology and mobility-focused startups, which allows them to expand their knowledge, capability and expertise to remain relevant in an industry on the verge of massive transformation.

Some might snicker when Byton CEO Daniel Kircher called the M-Byte EV “the first smart device on wheels,” but not the people attending this show. Of the vehicle introductions and concept cars, all were electrified – EVs or plug-in hybrids – with no gas-engine-only vehicles introduced.

Enjoy this visual overview gathered on an overnight boomerang run from Los Angeles to Las Vegas Wednesday January 7th and Thursday January 8th, 2020. What a way to begin a year of exciting possibilities.

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Sony, Vision-S, Ford, Fisker, Nissan, Ariya, Mercedes Benz, Vision Avatar, Hyundai, Aisin, Toyota, EVBOX, Futurus, Renovo, Woven City, Fiat, Bell, Mobility Solutions, The EDJE

Mercedes Benz Of Arcadia Is Previewed By MercedesBenzTechTalk.Com

Victoria Rusnak, president and CEO of Rusnak Group (right) describes the AMG Performance Center concept to members of the press as Rusnak Group founder Paul Rusnak (L) and Mercedes Benz of Arcadia general manager Brian Beatt look on. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

Mercedes Benz Of Arcadia Is Previewed By MercedesBenzTechTalk.Com 

Mercedes-Benz Of Arcadia is the redesigned new dealership of the Rusnak Auto Group which had its first preview to the press on July 11, 2016 after opening its doors in June. Mercedes-Benz of Arcadia replaces a smaller facility at an adjacent site.

This hallmark luxury dealership is the first LA Basin location to utilize the latest Mercedes-Benz facility image program, known as AutoHaus2.

Alysha Webb, editor and publisher of Automotive Buy Sell Report, shakes hands with Rusnak Auto Group founder, Paul Rusnak, as general manager Brian Beatt (R) looks on during the Press Day tour of the newly opened Mercedes Benz of Arcadia. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

This excerpted and edited from Automotive Buy Sell Report -

New Arcadia facility opens new business opportunities for Rusnak Group’s Mercedes-Benz dealership
Posted By Alysha Webb, Editor and Publisher - July 20, 2016

The Rusnak Auto Group in June opened a huge new Mercedes-Benz dealership in Arcadia, in the San Gabriel Valley northeast of Los Angeles.

The showcase facility took more than a decade to realize, but now Rusnak has new product lines and much more space. That should mean a nice bump in the group’s business.

“It was hard to get the full potential out of the market [in the old dealership],” Brian Beatt, general manager of Mercedes-Benz of Arcadia tells Automotive Buy Sell Report. “We will have opportunities to grow considerably in the next 24 months.”
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The new dealership covers over 241,000 square feet, including 40,000 sq. ft. of indoor showroom space and a bit less than 43,000 sq. ft. of service area. It has ten times more showroom space than the former building and seven to eight times more total space, says Beatt.

The new building will have 64 service bays when completed, and will stock over $1 million in parts. “We just keep growing,” he says.

Construction took several years, but getting the project off the ground was 15 years in the making, Victoria Rusnak, president and CEO of Rusnak Group tells Automotive Buy Sell Report.
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With the additional space, Rusnak has brought in two new business lines — a Mercedes AMG Performance Center and Sprinter vans.
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According to the Mercedes-Benz USA website, there are fewer than a dozen of the AMG Performance Centers — which offer a personalized retail experience – in the U.S.

Museum grade space of the Mercedes Benz of Arcadia showroom floor. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

Adding the Sprinter brand did add construction costs to the new facility, however. To accommodate the tall vans in the service center, the entire building’s ceiling had to be raised by three feet at a cost of $1.4 million, says Beatt.

The facility cost $40 million to build, not including the cost of the land, says Paul Rusnak, the Group’s founder.
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Rusnak was able to use local vendors for some of the materials, but other materials, such as the tile, could only be sourced from Mercedes-Benz-approved suppliers [as per Mercedes-Benz corporate Autohaus2 template], says Victoria Rusnak.
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Rusnak wants to maximize business at her existing dealerships before adding more, she says. They are “a lot to manage with the cash intensity of the facilities right now.”

For example, the Mercedes-Benz of Arcadia hasn’t begun to realize the full sales potential in the area, says Beatt. For the past two years, as the new facility was being built, the old dealership operated out of around 40 percent of its original footprint, he says.

“This created severe operating conditions, with a severe shortage of space for over two years for new vehicle display, pre-owned display, service parking, and customer parking,” says Beatt.

In 2015, Rusnak’s old Arcadia dealership sold 2,270 new cars and light trucks, and 636 pre-owned used cars and light trucks. This year it aims to sell between 2,500 and 2,700 new and 700 pre-owned.
[Reference Here]

The Rusnak Group was founded in 1961 when Paul Rusnak opened a Triumph dealership (British) in Pasadena. The Rusnak Group now includes 14 makes at 15 locations.  It is primarily a foreign car luxury automotive sales and service group (Germany, Great Britain, Italy, & Korea) with locations that feature Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, BMW, Bentley, Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Maserati, Volvo, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Sprinter, and Hyundai franchises.

Mercedes-Benz Of Arcadia will become known as the museum display showcase in Southern California for current and newly released automobiles of Mercedes-Benz which is a global automobile manufacturer and a division of the German company Daimler AG headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Mercedes Benz Of Arcadia, Mercedes Benz, Arcadia, Rusnak, Alysha Webb, automotivebuysellreport.com, MercedesBenzTechTalk, The Rusnak Group, AMG Performance Centers, Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz facility image program, AutoHaus2, Paul Rusnak, Victoria Rusnak, Brian Beatt, The EDJE 

LA Auto Show - Mercedes Benz Presentation

LA Auto Show - Mercedes Benz Presentation

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC//NOVEMBER 20-29, 2015

L.A. Auto Show 2015: Mercedes Benz GLS
By Brian Thevenot - LA Times

What is it?
A full-size, full-luxury, seven-seat people hauler. Mercedes calls it the “S-Class among SUVs.” The automaker hasn’t released pricing, the S-Class reference – the same one applied to its flagship sedan – likely signals the starting price will rise over the GL model it will replace, which starts in the mid-$60,000 range. With options, figure easily six figures. An ultra-luxury Maybach model is also planned.

Why it matters:
Luxury sport utility vehicles are among the hottest and most competitive segments in the auto industry, and the GLS could be among the highest-caliber offerings. If it truly matches the luxury and performance of the S-Class sedan, it will be a formidable competitor.

What’s new:
A full range of powerful gas and diesel engines carry on in similar form, some with decent bumps in power. The top-line performance GLS63 gets a whopping 577 horsepower, 27 more than on the previous model. A lot of extras and details have been upgraded, including Dynamic Select transmission modes; Airmatic air suspension; a 9-speed automatic transmission; a redesigned exterior and lights all around; redesigned center console; and a range of new lightweight alloy wheels.

The competition:
Lexus GX and LX, Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover Range Rover, BMW X5. In Maybach trim, the GLS could rival the ultra-luxury Bentley Bentaga and an expected SUV offering from Rolls Royce.

The details:
Powertrain: 3.0-liter V6 diesel; 3.0-liter V6 Biturbo; 4.7-liter V8 Biturbo; 5.5-liter AMG Biturbo

Transmission: 9G-Tronic 9-speed automatic; AMG Speedshift 7G-Tronic

Fuel economy: not released; 2015 version gets 13 to 19 mpg city/17 to 26 mpg highway, depending on engine choice.

Horsepower: 255; 362; 449; and 577 for the respective engines

Torque: 455; 369; 516; 561 pound-feet

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L.A. Auto Show 2015: 2016 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster
By Charles Fleming - LA Times

What is it:
Mercedes is refreshing the vaunted SL line, adding a 450 version to the 550 and two AMG models, bringing a slightly more affordable entry-level car to this high-end division.

Why it matters:
In a strengthening economy, the luxury sports car segment is hot again. Porsche is coming out with a revised 911 line. BMW has refreshed its 7-Series. Jaguar is pushing forward with its XE. Mercedes is adding more power, performance and luxury to the SL line. Horsepower figures for the four models range from 362 on the SL450, 449 for the SL550, 577 for the AMG SL63 and a whopping 621 for the AMG SL65.

What's new:
The SL line has a new lower, sleeker face with a more steeply sloped radiator grille. Short A-pillars and a long hood enhance the race car look.

The competition:
Porsche 911, Aston Martin Vantage, Jaguar XE

The details:
Powertrain: BiTurbo engines ranging in size from 3.0 liters on the 450 to 6.0 on the AMG SL65

Transmission: 9-speed automatic in SLs, AMG Speedshift in AMGs

Fuel economy: N/A

Horsepower: 362 to 621

Torque: 369 to 738

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http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/laautoshow/la-fi-hy-la-auto-show-mercedes-benz-gls-html-20151111-htmlstory.html

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/laautoshow/la-fi-hy-la-auto-show-mercedes-benz-sl-roadster-20151117-htmlstory.html

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/events/autoshow#module-5

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... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: L.A. Auto Show, 2015, Mercedes Benz, GLS, SL, Roadster, AMG, The EDJE, LA Times