By Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune
The is back at McCormick Place for a 10-day run beginning Saturday and the atmosphere inside the convention centre is decidedly electric.
Electric vehicles will be taking centre stage at the annual show, with everything from an indoor EV test track to a slew of , as the transformational technology gains traction among consumers and automakers alike.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 definitely a lot more EVs ready to go to market,91裸聊视频� said David Sloan, general manager of the Chicago Auto Show. 91裸聊视频淭his is the year.91裸聊视频�
The Chicago Auto Show was the city91裸聊视频檚 last major event before the pandemic hit in March 2020, disrupting both the auto and tourism industries. Last year, it shifted to July, with a smaller five-day summer edition that utilized indoor and outdoor exhibits at McCormick Place, as a pandemic-weary city began the long road back to hosting major events.
This year91裸聊视频檚 show will feature about 30 brands 91裸聊视频� more than the summer show but less than in 2020. It will also feature six indoor test tracks and three outdoor test drives, the most ever offered at the show, Sloan said.
Visitors will get their first in-person look at the , unveiled last month at the CES in Las Vegas. The truck, which starts at $40,000 and is expected to launch in fall 2023, is General Motors91裸聊视频� answer to the 91裸聊视频� Ford91裸聊视频檚 first electric pickup truck 91裸聊视频� which debuted at last summer91裸聊视频檚 Chicago Auto Show.
The bright blue Silverado EV on display at this year91裸聊视频檚 show is the fully loaded RST model, which features 400-mile range, 660-horsepower, 10,000-pound towing capacity and goes from zero to 60 mph in 4 陆 seconds 91裸聊视频� with enough high-tech bells and whistles to command a lofty $105,000 sticker price.
91裸聊视频淭his is a huge deal for Chevrolet,91裸聊视频� said Nichole Kraatz, chief engineer of battery electric trucks at General Motors. 91裸聊视频淲e really wanted to have a compelling statement for Chevrolet91裸聊视频檚 first full-size electric pickup truck, and it91裸聊视频檚 an amazing vehicle to offer.91裸聊视频�
The first edition Silverado EVs are already committed to buyers, but future vehicles, from the $40,000 work truck to the top-of-the-line RST, can be reserved online. When your place in line comes up, you can build it to specifications, but don91裸聊视频檛 expect delivery until after the fall of 2023, Kraatz said,
The Ford F-150 Lightning is set to launch in the spring, starting at just under $40,000. Ford stopped taking reservations on the EV truck after reaching nearly 200,000 preorders, and is doubling production capacity to 150,000 vehicles to meet demand, the company said last month.
For this year91裸聊视频檚 show, attendees will get to ride shotgun in an F-150 Lightning, as professional drivers put the pickup truck and other EVs through their paces on an indoor test track.
91裸聊视频淭he majority of people who are considering an EV have never experienced one, either as a rider or a driver,91裸聊视频� Sloan said. 91裸聊视频淪o to have some here that people can drive or take a ride in is significant.91裸聊视频�
Rivian, the homegrown EV truck manufacturer that launched production of its inaugural SUV and pickup at its Normal factory last fall, is once again a no-show at the Chicago Auto Show. The newly public company, which raised $13.7 billion through a massive initial public offering in November, has been struggling to keep up with demand for its $70,000 EV trucks.
Automakers are all in on the transition to electric vehicles, with legislation designed to accelerate the rollout of charging infrastructure, manufacturing and consumer adoption providing the industry with added incentive to evolve beyond the combustion engine.
But there91裸聊视频檚 still plenty of gas-powered glory at the show, including the first look at the 400-horsepower Ford Bronco Raptor SUV. Among other features, the muscular-looking, rock-eating version at the top of the new-generation Bronco line features 37-inch tires, 91裸聊视频渢he largest tire offered as standard equipment on a domestic production SUV,91裸聊视频� said Arie Groeneveld, chief program engineer at Ford.
Reservations for the $70,000 Bronco Raptor begin next month, with production launching in the summer, Ford spokesman Jiyan Cadiz said.
As the Chicago Auto Show opens, production at the only Chicago auto plant has once again ground to a halt. Ford91裸聊视频檚 Chicago Assembly Plant shut down this week because of the global semiconductor shortage, which has disrupted the auto industry since February 2021, halting production, reducing inventory and raising new and used car prices for consumers.
Launched in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show went on hiatus during the Second World War as auto production was curtailed but hasn91裸聊视频檛 missed a year since it resumed in 1950.
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