Chicago Auto Show boasts over 20 electric vehicles, expanded EV test track
Electric vehicles are front and center at the Chicago Auto Show this year, with an expanded selection, larger test track and EV learning center.
The developments reflect a growing interest in consumers, industry experts say, alongside a greater need among them for access to information about EV charging and rebates. With supply chain dysfunction contributing to an inventory shortage nationwide, the show is a chance to see and potentially test-drive more than 20 electric vehicles.
That number is far ahead of what the show offered in previous years. The show's EV indoor test track — triple the size of last year's — allows visitors to go for a ride in the passenger seat. Guests can get behind the wheel of a handful of EVs at one of the four outdoor test tracks, run by Ford, Kia, Subaru and Volkswagon.
“Just a few years ago, there were maybe three or four EVs on the floor. Now there's more than 20. That's a big difference. Three years ago, it was Tesla or nobody,” said Mark Bilek, senior director of communications and technology with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which hosts the annual event. “Now there's all sorts of Tesla competitors out there offering vehicles. I think that's probably the biggest change.”
EVs gaining the most attention at the show so far include the Hyundai Ioniq 6, which boasts one of the longest ranges per charge from a traditional automaker today at up to 340 miles. Also turning heads is the hybrid Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray — the first all-wheel-drive Corvette and the fastest Corvette ever from Chevrolet.
With Ram, displaying a concept version of its 1500 Revolution, a pickup that the automaker recently announced will go into production soon, the show is also setting the stage for “very interesting pickup truck wars from an electric standpoint in a year or so,” Bilek said.
The show is featuring a handful of electric pickups, including the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Chevrolet Silverado EV.
Bilek added that the number of EVs on the market is only expected to grow.
“In the span of just maybe two and a half years, you've seen the numbers just grow exponentially, and that will continue,” he said. “You've got a whole bunch of electric vehicles that are set to come online in the next year or so, as manufacturers work toward reaching the goal that many states now have enacted for no internal combustion engine vehicles sold after 2035.”
While Illinois hasn't followed others like California in banning the future sale of gasoline-powered cars, the state has been nudging its residents to go electric by rolling out initiatives such as rebate programs and charging infrastructure projects. The efforts are part of the state's lofty climate goals of getting a million electric vehicles on the road by 2030 and reaching 100% clean energy by 2050.
To reach those goals, Powering Chicago Executive Director Elbert Walters III said it's not just the cars that should be in the spotlight for consumers, but also charging infrastructure.
“There's going to be a need for an infrastructure that is resilient, that is reliable and that is installed safely so that individuals who do choose to invest in electric vehicles know that wherever they choose to connect their vehicle to a charging unit, it's installed correctly,” Walters said.
The show is highlighting a number of chargers, both residential and commercial, throughout its two McCormick Place halls. At the Powering Chicago EV Learning Center, experts are available to talk with guests about installation, the different types of chargers available, rebates and tax incentives and more.
The Chicago Auto Show runs through Feb. 20. More information, including a full list of vehicles on display, can be found online at chicagoautoshow.com.
— Jenny Whidden is a Report For America corps member covering climate change and the environment for the Daily Herald. To help support her work with a tax-deductible donation, see dailyherald.com/rfa.
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Chicago Auto Show
When: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. now through Feb. 19; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 20
Where: McCormick Place, South Building, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Cost: Free for children through age 3; $10 for kids through age 12 and seniors 62 and older; $15 for adults. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door.
Info: chicagoautoshow.com