LA Auto Show: Automakers are revving up electric SUVs to solve a sales problem

LOS ANGELES - Automakers have a sales challenge: How can they persuade U.S. car buyers, addicted to gas-guzzling SUVs, to start buying electric vehicles in quantity?

Their solution is on display at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, which opened to the public Friday: Build battery electric SUVs.

Despite rollbacks in U.S. emissions requirements and the presence of global climate change deniers in the current U.S. administration, a growing number of the world's carmakers will arrive at the 10-day automotive marathon sporting SUVS and smaller crossover utility vehicles, or CUVs, that are either pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

This is no anomaly, and isn't a matter of carmakers building "compliance cars" to satisfy emissions standards. These are production cars, in starkly increasing numbers. Next year, they'll be bringing