Lead
The U.S. auto sector is navigating a period of intense change. Geopolitical friction, shifting trade rules and the race to low‑carbon mobility are forcing automakers, suppliers and regulators to rethink where parts come from, how vehicles are engineered and where capital gets deployed. Two upcoming gatherings — a focused webinar on trade, security and decarbonization and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s Annual Technology Showcase — offer a chance to turn uncertainty into practical decisions.
Quick snapshot
– Who should pay attention: OEMs and tiered suppliers, procurement and policy teams, fleet operators, investors and standards organizations. – Core topics: trade policy, national security reviews, domestic‑content rules, export controls, EV supply chains, interoperability and charging infrastructure. – What you’ll walk away with: clearer regulatory signals, concrete technical demonstrations, procurement cues and networking that can move pilots toward funded rollouts.
What’s driving change now
Three trends are shaping vehicle development: electrification, software‑defined vehicles and a renewed emphasis on supply‑chain resilience. At the same time, regulators are tightening scrutiny of cross‑border flows tied to critical technologies and pushing lifecycle emissions and domestic‑content targets. Buyers and financiers no longer want concepts — they want deployable solutions that show manufacturability, predictable cost curves and a clear compliance path.
Event 1 — Webinar: U.S. Automotive 2026: Trade Policy, National Security, and the Energy Transition
– When: February 18, 2026, 11:00 a.m. ET (online) – Who’s hosting: Hogan Lovells and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation – Why it matters: This briefing will clarify how trade measures, security reviews and decarbonization mandates intersect — and what that means for procurement timing, R&D roadmaps and capital allocation.
What you’ll gain
– Scenario planning that maps how domestic‑content rules and export controls change sourcing and production location decisions. – Practical compliance tools and frameworks to align procurement with security‑driven policies. – Insight into how regulatory shifts alter technology adoption timetables and investment priorities.
How it will inform your strategy
Speakers — including trade attorneys, compliance leads and policy analysts — will translate abstract rule changes into concrete operational impacts. Product managers and procurement teams can expect to come away with a sharper sense of near‑term risks and options to preserve flexibility in supplier contracts and engineering schedules.
Event 2 — Alliance Annual Technology Showcase (Washington, DC)
– When: June 9, 2026 (in‑person) – What to expect: Live demos, hands‑on technical briefings and moderated sessions where manufacturers, suppliers and policymakers evaluate working prototypes and pilot deployments.
Demo themes to watch
1. Modular electrified platforms that allow multiple powertrain variants on a shared chassis. 2. Charging innovations focused on bidirectional energy flow and coordinated network management (V2G/V2X). 3. Advanced driver assistance and software‑defined controls with layered redundancy and robust over‑the‑air update frameworks. 4. New materials and manufacturing techniques that cut weight while meeting crashworthiness and durability standards.
Why demonstrations matter
Regulators and procurement officers prioritize deployability and interoperability. Exhibits backed by measurable validation — test data, supply‑chain mappings and rollout timelines — carry more weight than conceptual displays. Panels will aim to connect technical milestones to certification paths and standards priorities.
How industry and policymakers will interact
Workshops will drill into safety, cybersecurity and data‑sharing protocols. Lawmakers and regulatory advisers will use demos to weigh trade‑offs and feasibility, while suppliers showcase resilience measures adopted after recent disruptions. Investors, meanwhile, will be evaluating commercialization routes and concrete pilot commitments.
Quick snapshot
– Who should pay attention: OEMs and tiered suppliers, procurement and policy teams, fleet operators, investors and standards organizations. – Core topics: trade policy, national security reviews, domestic‑content rules, export controls, EV supply chains, interoperability and charging infrastructure. – What you’ll walk away with: clearer regulatory signals, concrete technical demonstrations, procurement cues and networking that can move pilots toward funded rollouts.0