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At this year’s Detroit Auto Show, a family-friendly exhibit will offer visitors the opportunity to walk through life-like dinosaur models while looking at off-road SUVs and trucks.
Spectators look over a Shelby Cobra on display in Ford's booth at the Detroit Auto Show Sept. 14.
People watch as a Jeep Wrangler variant descends a manufactured hill as part of a demonstration at the Detroit Auto Show Sept. 14.
The "world's largest rubber duck" sits outside Huntington Place on the first morning of the North American International Auto Show Wednesday, Sept. 14, in Detroit.
DETROIT — After a two-year hiatus, the North American International Auto Show has returned to Detroit.
The annual event — often hailed as one of the largest shows in the automotive industry in the United States — was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A revamped show was proposed and planned for September 2021, but it was also postponed for the same reason.
“We’re very excited to see the show back in physical format,” said Chad Lyons, executive director of communications for Chevrolet. “It’s reenergizing to be able to connect with our customers through this format.”
This year’s show has an emphasis on electric vehicles, with many on display — including EVs from the big three.
“EVs are now a crucial part of our strategy. We are aiming to have an EV for everyone,” Lyons said.
Across the showroom floor, representatives from Magna were celebrating not only their first time being on the main showroom floor, but the recent release and success of an autonomous delivery vehicle produced for a local pizzeria.
“The interesting thing about Magna is, of course we can do everything right across the vehicle … but today specifically, we did an announcement on how we’re entering the new mobility space,” said Tracy Fuerst, vice president of corporate communications and public relations for Magna. “We did an all-electric, autonomous, last-mile delivery robot for Brooklyn Pizza out of Birmingham.”
The show officially opened with a presentation Wednesday morning, kicking off a day filled with reveals and speakers, including President Joe Biden.
Biden visits show, announces electric vehicle incentives
On Sept. 14, a crowd filled a conference room at Huntington Place to hear Biden announce an incentive package meant to entice people to buy electric vehicles.
The plan includes the approval of $900 million in infrastructure money to build chargers across more than 50,000 miles of highways in 35 states.
“Today, I’m pleased to announce we’re approving funding for the first 35 states, including Michigan, to build their own electric charging infrastructure throughout their state,” he said.
Drivers who purchase an electric vehicle that was manufactured in North America will also be eligible for a tax credit of up to $7,500 if the minerals used in the vehicle’s batteries are produced or recycled on the continent.
While he said that the vehicles he saw at the show gave him a sense of optimism, Biden said the United States had lost its edge and allowed other countries to catch up in terms of automotive production.
“Something went wrong along the way here. … The rest of the world is catching up, but not anymore,” he said. “Now we’re choosing to build a better America, an America that’s confronting the climate crisis, with America’s workers leading the way.”
“Look, folks, the great American road trip is going to be fully electrified,” he said.
NAIAS 2022: What to know if you go
While the focal point of this year’s show will still take place around the exhibits and displays in Huntington Place — formerly the Cobo Center — this year’s show has attractions planned throughout downtown Detroit.
Standing at approximately 61 feet tall, the “world’s largest rubber duck” will greet visitors immediately outside Huntington Place, offering them what organizers are calling “an ideal backdrop for social media engagement.”
Attendees can find monster truck and motocross demonstrations, food trucks, and live entertainment down the street from Huntington Place, at Hart Plaza. A map on the show’s website, naias.com, also shows activities planned in Spirit Plaza and Campus Martius Park.
Ticketed visitors are also invited to experience more than 80 lifelike dinosaurs that will be on display as part of the Off-Road Vehicle Encounter in the Huntington Place ballroom.
During show hours, visitors will have the opportunity to drive a new Ram truck or take a new Volkswagen or Chevrolet for a drive on a street course. There are also opportunities for people to get hands-on with other vehicles, including a Ford Bronco and an electric F-150 truck.
The public show runs 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Saturday, Sept. 17, until Sept. 24. On Sunday, Sept. 25, the public show’s final day, it will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20 per adult, $12 for seniors 65 and older, and $10 for children 3-12. Family passes, which cover two adults and three children, are available for $50.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit naias.com.
