All Iowa Auto Show to feature second-annual EV Summit

Prospective car buyers will get a chance to do some one-stop shopping at the All Iowa Auto Show March 15-17 at the Iowa Events Center.

The event, held by Local IQ, a division of the Des Moines Register’s parent company, Gannett Co., will be in Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center. More than a dozen manufacturers will show off their latest vehicles and offer test drives.

Electric vehicles will be highlighted during the second-annual Electric Vehicle Summit at the auto show. An estimated 1.46 million electric cars and trucks were sold in the United State in 2023, a 50% rise from 2022, and made up 7.6% of all vehicle sales, according to USA Today.

As of June 30, 2023 there were 12,805 electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids registered in Iowa, a 19.5% increase over the total on Dec. 31, 2022, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Iowa received $51.4 million from the 2021 federal Bipartisan infrastructure Law to upgrade its electric charging infrastructure. Funds are being distributed through grants and the first chargers are being built along Iowa’s interstate highway corridors.

The EV Summit starts at 3 p.m. each day and includes presentations from local dealers and groups promoting electric vehicles. On March 16, Polk County leaders will talk about the impacts of gas and electric vehicles on the county’s environment.

The show is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 15 and 16 and from noon to 6 p.m. March 17. Admission is free. March 17 will be Family Day.