The Chicago Auto Show, which first opened in 1901, is the largest auto show in North America. This year, the show featured 15 different manufacturers, along with numerous specialized sections, all with the goal of giving visitors a look at some of the best offerings available on the automotive market today. Despite the notable absence of manufacturers like Audi and Mercedes-Benz, the show still featured many of today’s best, such as Honda, Lexus, BMW and Toyota. With something for everyone to enjoy, like interactive displays, ride-along vehicle demonstrations and shopping booths, it’s no wonder almost 260,000 people visited the show. Sections like the “supercar” section, which featured numerous high-end luxury and performance cars from local dealerships, along with the electric car showcase, which showed off some of today’s most interesting and cutting-edge EVs, all served as major focal points for show-goers.
One of this year’s biggest stories at the Chicago Auto Show was the absence of Stellantis; the parent company of manufacturers like Dodge, Chrysler, RAM and Alfa Romeo. Their absences was chalked up to budget cuts after the company lost money in the United Auto Workers strike back in Fall of 2023. Both the show and Stellantis are hopeful there can be a reunion next year, but no decision will be made until much closer to the 2025 date.
As the automotive world continues to adapt, so do events like the Chicago Auto show. Not only as manufacturers come and go from year to year but also as market trends and consumer preferences alter, with Electric Vehicles being one of this year’s biggest focuses. As most manufacturers put their top EV offerings on display, with some like Kia and Ford offering test drives, it was made very clear that as the internal-combustion engine is still very much considered the norm, EVs continue to get better and better, and prove to many that something which was once considered impractical for many peoples’ daily lives can now be seen as a very compelling alternative to gasoline-powered cars.
The goal of auto shows like Chicago’s has always been to highlight the peak of technology in automobiles, and in today’s rapidly advancing technological landscape, this has never been more obvious.
