by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
The Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator nameplates may be poised to defend their 4x4/SUV and Midsize Truck of the Year honors at this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association event next week, but the company itself won’t be around Las Vegas to accept any awards.
Jeep parent Stellantis announced Friday that it is pulling out of SEMA this year, citing cost-cutting procedures from the ongoing UAW strike. The automaker already said it would not be attending January’s CES Tech Expo, and is canceling plans for the LA Auto Show as well.
The company normally uses SEMA, one of the largest trade shows in the world, to show off all kinds of Mopar accessories for a wide variety of its vehicles — including plenty for Wrangler and Gladiator. It also brings along several concept vehicles utilizing these products and, in the last two events, sought to ramp up interest in its electrified offerings.
Stellantis issued a statement that it is abandoning upcoming events, like SEMA, as part of “comprehensive countermeasures to mitigate financial impacts and preserve capital.” The automaker said it will share upcoming plans later.
The action comes at a difficult time as Stellantis, and many others in the domestic automotive industry, try and navigate a path into mostly electrified vehicles. Jeep already has its hybrid 4xe Wrangler to market, and will also see its fully-electric Recon nameplate reach showrooms in early 2024.
However, the current UAW strike shows no clear path to a finish with Stellantis — despite a recent settlement with Ford. UAW leadership cites bloated management salaries, and corporate bonuses, as major obstacles to overcome, while also trying to revise worker salary structure. Additionally, the UAW fears a transition to electrification as it claims the process leads to smaller production line employment.
SEMA itself has seen automakers either fully pull out or reduce their display footprint over the past few years. Besides Stellantis, GM/Chevy is skipping again this year, as well as Honda, Hyundai and Kia, while Ford is back after an absence in 2022, albeit with a far smaller space.
However, SEMA said it believes this year’s event will be the largest since COVID — with an expected 130,000 attendees and over 2,000 exhibitors.
This year’s SEMA event runs from Tuesday, October 31 through Friday, November 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
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