At Washington Auto Show, the cars are the stars
There were plenty of automotive offerings from which consumer showgoers could choose at this yearês Washington Auto Show alternative fuel vehicles, SUVs, CUVs, and lots of other well-appointed, affordable cars, too. As VIP tour guide William West Hopper said, Thereês not a single vehicle that suits everybody, but thereês something for everyone.
Everyone is interested in autonomous cars, and some OEMs brought vehicles that were well on the way to full autonomy. A big draw at the Hyundai booth was the Ioniq autonomous concept car, which has smart cruise control and lane keep assist. Hyundai also showed the Ioniq Electric and the Ioniq Land Speed Record. That race car set a speed record of more than 157 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in September a major milestone for an EV.
During the MobilityTalks and Media Day, the Carnegie Mellon autonomous vehicle, funded by the National Science Foundation, was on display. NSF Director Dr. France Crdova highlighted the vehicle in her government keynote address. The car was driven to the Convention Center from Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh though not hands-free, Dr. Crdova noted.
Another futuristic vehicle was the Toyota Mirai fuel cell car, shown in a prominent and attention-getting display as a cutaway. The all-electric Chevrolet Bolt, which many call a game-changer because of its affordability and 238-mile electric range, was featured at the GM booth making its East Coast announcement at the WAS. Being introduced only last December, the Bolt is not yet available in all dealerships. It was a very popular part of the Ride & Drive offerings on WAS Media Day.
The Toyota Prius Prime and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid the first hybrid minivan were among the other alternative fuel vehicles on display. The Washington area has historically been a strong market for AFVs. Among the new sport utility vehicles were the Jeep Renegade and Volkswagen Tiguan compact SUVs and the VW Atlas midsize SUV.
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