The products featured are from SEMA Data member companies that have attained Gold- or Platinum-level data, which means that their product data is robust and complete—likely to drive customer purchase decisions. SEMA Data members meeting data scorecard requirements are invited to submit product releases for consideration to enews@semadata.org.

SEMA News—February 2022

Global Tire Expo New Products

By Douglas McColloch

The 2021 SEMA Show New Products Showcase featured more than 1,500 products across 16 different categories, including street performance, racing, off-road, mobile electronics and interior and exterior accessories. The New Products Showcase remains the No. 1 destination for buyers visiting the SEMA Show.

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.

New for this year, the New Products Showcase will be located in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Upper South Hall in booth #31255. In addition, buyers and media can now use the Show app on their mobile device to scan and save products and provide step-by-step directions to the exhibitors that submitted each product.

In the first two decades of the 21st century, the automotive sphere has become increasingly digital and cloud-based in its use of technology, and that change has been likewise reflected in the tools and equipment aftermarket. The very definition of a “tool” has expanded beyond the basic impact wrench and scissor lift to include laptops, software and sensor-recalibration equipment. Regardless of type, though, having the proper tools and equipment at hand is crucial for enthusiast builders and modifiers to bring their dreams to fruition.

As a rule, the automotive collision repair and refinish market could be said to be a recession-proof industry—accidents will happen in any economy, after all—but in 2020, the marketplace was not immune to the effects of a global pandemic.

What builders refer to nowadays as the “hot-rod” marketplace has evolved immensely over the last couple of decades with the inclusion of later-model muscle cars and OBD-II-compatible onboard technologies. Nowadays, a stroll around the floor of just about any custom-car show will reveal build ideas that would have seemed inconceivable a couple of generations ago. Would your grandfather have ever envisioned a pony car that ran on battery power only, or a Bluetooth-enabled square-body truck? Welcome to the 21st century.

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It would be quite difficult these days to find an OEM that doesn’t feature an electric vehicle in its lineup. That is where the industry is heading, although it isn’t quite there yet. Currently, most aftermarket companies are trying to figure out how to work with today’s technology, such as advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Keep an eye out to the future, because electric vehicles (EVs) will have a significant impact on the aftermarket before we know it. Mobile electronics took to the web during SEMA360 and delivered plenty of products to talk about. The following is a collection of products displayed on SEMA 360’s New Products Showcase, as well as insights from industry experts.