3 minute read
F (Forget) Being Old
Johnny V’s Report From the ‘22 Chicago Auto Show:
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Brace Yourselves: The EVs (Electric Vehicles) Are Coming!
Finding an answer to beating the winter doldrums and trying to move past the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic was a priority for this boomer. In the “year of the tiger”, according to the Chinese Calendar, I decided to pounce on the chance for an adventure so my journey to the returned Chicago Auto Show gave me a lot to roar about. This year’s 10-day show was less than usual due to the effects of the pandemic in terms of exhibits and attendance. However, the show still featured plenty of hands-on events, attendee demonstrations, and plenty of cool rides. The Chicago Auto Show is the largest and longestrunning auto exposition show in North America and has been showcasing new vehicles since 1901. This year marked the 114th edition and even though a
bit smaller, the show did not disappoint this gearhead. Eager attendees (200,000) traveled to McCormick Place to get a look at the latest cars, trucks, SUVs, and featured EVs, including a brand-new indoor electric vehicle test track which featured a variety of new electric vehicles The show featured an array of vehicles that made their global, North American, or auto show debut including: • 2023 BMW iX/i4 M50-60 • 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor • Kia Sportage PHEV • 2022 Ford GT • 2023 Chevrolet Silverado EV • 2022 GMC Hummer New attractions this year featured an indoor 2022 Toyota Tundra test track and Ford's two new indoor tracks to highlight their Bronco family of vehicles and latest EVs which include the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E.
• 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 • 2022 Lexus LX 600 Fan favorites returned such as Camp Jeep, Ram Truck Territory, and Subaru’s popular National Parks immersive exhibit and dog adoption where 14 dogs were adopted from the show. The community element of giving is always at the auto show. The show focused attendees on the new shift that EVs are the vehicles of the future and to help consumers prepare for that automotive future. The Powering Chicago EV track/test drive components of the show were a super success with attendees experiencing and learning about the latest EVs to hit the automotive marketplace.
This year's award winners were the 2022 Kia Carnival as Family Vehicle of the Year and the 2022 Genesis GV70 as the winner of the Luxury Family Vehicle of the Year. The Association of National Advertisers announced Honda as the recipient of the 2022 Driving Influence Award for its “Drive for Fun” digital campaign. The Show’s highlight for yours truly was the eye candy and muscle cars.
My walk through the Super-Car area getting up close and personal with Aston Martin DB 11s, Porches, and Lamborghinis was enough to make attending the show very satisfying and worthwhile. A bonus was checking out and getting the scoop on the new for 2023 Chevy Vette (Corvette) and Ford GT! For this Boomer, the ‘22 Chicago Auto Show did not disappoint, helped put me in a Spring mode, and reinforced my “buy American” and “muscle rides rocks” mantra!
John A. Vardalas, CAE/CUDE CEO/Founder of The American BoomeR Group, is a professional speaker/ business consultant.He can be reached at jvardallas@aol.com and visiting TheAmericanBoomer.com
