Detroit auto show returns following pandemic hiatus

DETROIT — The North American International Auto Show has returned to Detroit, albeit a little smaller this year.

It’s been over three years since the last Detroit Auto Show, and this year, the focus is on consumers rather than the industry.

Unsurprisingly, automakers are presenting their latest electric vehicles at the 2022 show, including Chevrolet’s Trailblazer electric vehicle. According to The Associated Press, other electric cars at the show include the Cadillac Lyriq SUV, an electric Chevy Equinox SUV and Ford’s F-150 Lightning pickup.

Amongst the gasoline-powered vehicles at the show are a performance edition of the Chevy Tahoe, a 30-year commemorative edition of Jeep’s Grand Cherokee and Ford’s redesigned seventh-generation Mustang, according to Barron’s.

According to MLive.com, flying “vehicles” were included in the lineup, including the AIR ONE two-seater flying machine and Gravity Industries jet suit.

According to MarketWatch, the smaller-scale show, which was moved from January to September, has fewer model debuts and potentially lower attendance than in years past.

“The industry has changed — the world has changed,” Karl Zimmermann, vice president of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, told AP. “Do I think it’s going to be the same as it was before? No. It’s a much different format. We’re using indoors. We’re using outdoors.”

Zimmerman said the downsizing of auto shows is part of a worldwide trend that started about a decade ago. Other auto shows, too, are shifting their focus to letting customers in their region see and even drive new vehicles.

President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg attended the show on Wednesday. Biden drove the Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV down a convention hall, according to AP.

The public show is from Sept. 17 and runs through the 25, according to WJBK.

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