The 2025 Los Angeles Auto Show arrived this November like a wake-up call for anyone paying attention to the American auto market. What used to be an all-out race to electrify every nook and cranny finally showed signs of common sense: customers want choice, not sermons from coastal elites who think the rest of us will gladly trade towing capacity and independence for a charging cord. AutoMobility LA and the public show drew builders, buyers and real-world test drives that proved the industry can respect both heritage engineering and new technology.
One of the most encouraging sights was Scout Motors’ real return to the spotlight — Traveler and Terra concepts parked where real Americans could walk up and inspect them. Backed by Volkswagen but run as an American company, Scout is bluntly offering people options: pure battery versions for some buyers and gas-powered range extenders for those who still need the freedom to roam. It’s the kind of pragmatic engineering that respects consumers instead of lecturing them, and it’s a rebuke to the one-size-fits-all electrification gospel.
Jeep’s Recon debut showed another truth the media won’t always highlight: electrification can be designed around rugged capability, not just town car styling. The Recon arrives with Trail Rated bona fides and serious numbers that matter to trail-goers — horsepower, torque and off-road hardware that promise real capability without surrendering Jeep’s soul. If automakers are going to sell EVs, they should do it by giving Americans the trucks and SUVs they love, not by stripping them of function in the name of trendiness.
Rivian’s smaller R2 also made its presence known, an explicit play for affordability and broader market reach rather than luxury exclusivity. The R2’s appearance at the show and Rivian’s test-drive program underline a market reality: automakers succeed when they build for real families and daily needs, not just Wall Street talking points. That kind of competition — Rivian squaring off with newcomers like Scout and legacy names like Jeep — is exactly what a free market should look like.
For those who’ve been told auto shows are dead, the numbers say otherwise: a majority of attendees are actual car shoppers, not just influencers or political pawns, and they come expecting to compare real products side-by-side. That on-the-ground consumer focus is why auto shows still matter — they force companies to answer buyers, not regulators. Good product wins customers; theatrical corporate messaging and virtue-signaling do not.
What conservatives should take away from LA is simple and loud: defend the freedom to choose. Policymakers and bureaucrats who push narrow mandates forget that American families need practical vehicles for work, towing, recreation and safety. Support companies that offer options, back retailers and manufacturers who invest in U.S. jobs and infrastructure, and reject any plan that treats drivers like a single-issue demographic. The future of American mobility should be about liberty and variety, not coerced conformity dressed up as progress.
