Pittsburgh Auto Show expands, even more electric
Expansion and electricity are the buzzwords for this year’s Pittsburgh Auto Show, which runs Friday through Monday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
More vehicles have been lined up now than during COVID, and more brands have returned to the show. Meanwhile, the indoor electric-vehicle track has doubled, allowing visitors to choose from five different models to ride in.
“We have a really nice lineup, we are not missing many (manufacturers),” said Lisa McIntyre, CEO for the show’s sponsor, the Greater Pittsburgh Automobile Dealers Association. “With COVID being hopefully in the rearview mirror a little more, and the chip shortage and supply chain issues a little past, we were able to get more brands there.”
Of course, hot cars remain the hot ticket.
Among the 200-plus vehicles at the show will be a 2023 Aston Martin V-12 Vantage, 2023 Chevrolet Corvette, 2024 Subaru Impreza, 2023 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V ESV.
But adding Cadillac, BMW, Mini, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo is a real score for Pittsburghers. Those brands have been absent from many major shows. Some makes had been bowing out of shows even before COVID, as space became more expensive. The pandemic seemed to seal that fate.
Show organizers turned to dealer groups to fill in the gaps left by manufacturers — giving visitors more choices for sitting in. And visitors to the show will notice.
“Cadillac was probably 99% of the complaints I got last year, so really thrilled to have Cadillac back,” Ms. McIntyre said.
The returning brands are generating just some of the electricity in the air at the show. Electric vehicles are becoming the focus of the industry, and the auto show provides a place to ride in them and learn more about them.
Doubling the number of ridealong EV tracks was not the only expansion; the show has added more information about the fledgling technology. Consumer questions at the 2022 show led organizers to add a company that services chargers and an electrician to Duquesne Light Co.’s information booth.
At the show, visitors will have the chance to ride in Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Mach-E EVs, and also the Subaru Solterra, Toyota bZ4X, and VW ID.4.
Electric vehicles have gained momentum as more than just a niche market, reaching a new milestone in 2022.
“With EVs representing 1 in 20 sales and green vehicles 1 in 10, electrified powertrains have already achieved a level of relevancy to the point where they’re no longer at risk of disappearing,” Ivan Drury, Edmunds director of insights, said in a statement.
Edmunds data show the U.S. electric vehicle market share for 2022 through November climbed to 5.1% of sales, compared to 2.5% for the entire year of 2021.
The share of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles climbed above 10% for that same period, up from 6.2% for the full year in 2021.
And EV and hybrid total vehicle sales in 2022 are still higher than 2021 numbers, even though total vehicles sold in the U.S. fell from just under 15 million in 2021 to about 13.8 million in 2022.
In Pittsburgh, electric vehicle numbers are strong but more in line with 2021’ s nationwide numbers. Data from Pittsburgh Auto Outlook, the dealer association’s quarterly publication, show that EV sales hit 2.7% of all vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2022, while hybrid vehicles are 6% of the dealer association’s sales.
That growing number is reflected in the growing number of chargers available for public use in and around Pittsburgh.
“I think we’re well up over 300 chargers in southwestern Pennsylvania, and that grows at least weekly,” said Rick Price, executive director of the Pittsburgh Region of Clean Cities, a nonprofit that aims to save energy and promote the use of domestic fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in transportation.
Obviously not everything is electric yet. The vast majority of the vehicles at the show still operate on gasoline power, and there are hundreds to see.
Among expensive cars that most visitors would otherwise not get close to are the 2023 AMG GLC 53 Coupe, Bentley Continental GT Convertible, and Maserati Ghibli.
More modest new-for2023 vehicles include the Acura Integra sport sedan, Dodge Hornet SUV, Jeep Grand Wagoneer large SUV, and Mazda CX-30 small SUV.
And electric vehicles on display that won’t be part of the EV track include BMW’s 2023 I7, Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Nissan Ariya.
Those who need extra incentive to get to the show — in large part, kids accompanying the grownups — have plenty of choices as well.
The Transformers Optimus Prime Replica Truck will make its Pittsburgh Auto Show debut. Marvel comics characters will save the day, including the Black Widow, Spider-Man and Captain America.
Racing is a strong theme of the Family Fun Zone with Hot Wheels Racing Teams, magic bend and flex racetracks, and race cars that kids can build and paint.
Finally, two varieties of dogs will visit the show — Subaru Underdogs adoptable rescues, and dogs from the Greater Pittsburgh Golden Retriever Club. Those well-coiffed pups will be employed to demonstrate keeping pets safe in vehicles and while camping, a program sponsored by Ford’s Bronco Wild Fund.