EVmeme was at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show last week during their press preview days and we saw a lot of great stuff. While the expected muscle and power displays were on hand, there were also a lot of new-tech and plug-in displays to see.
Here’s a photographic roundup of some of what is on display in Chicago right now.
BMW i3, i8
The BMW booth was full of plug-ins, with the awesome i8 supercar front-and-center and the excellent i3 compact right next to it. I drove the BMW i8 when it first arrived on the market in the U.S. and loved it. I have yet to drive the i3, but have heard equally good things about it from a consumer’s perspective.
Chevrolet Bolt, Volt
The Chevrolet area of the show floor also has some well-considered plug-in displays. The Bolt and the Volt are both on display there, emphasizing the company’s press towards futurity.
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
This plug-in hybrid van is one of the more compelling products to enter the market this year. It’s a family-ready vehicle that seats up to eight, has plenty of cargo capacity, drives very well, and gets about 80 mpge. What more can you ask for?
Ford Energi
Ford has several of its Energi line of products on display at the Chicago Auto Show. Most are not plugged in, but the company’s large display of charging solutions showed that they are committed to covering the market as much as they can.
During the preview event for concepts and technology, Ford had a plug-in hybrid Transit Connect taxi on display. We took it for a quick lap and loved that it was an active New York taxi, not a prototype for display purposes. Very cool.
Toyota FV2 and FCV Plus
Prominent at the Toyota booth are these two concepts. The FV2 is a sort of personal mobility / mood ring test product that isn’t much larger than a bicycle. It’s electric, of course, and is aimed at quick jaunts around town. The other is, to us, more interesting as the FCV Plus concept.
The FCV Plus is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that rethinks the automobile almost from the ground up. A lot of automated driving and other aspects are included in the car, but it’s a cool design that looks really awesome in person.
Volvo Powertrains
On display at the Volvo booth is a huge plug-in chassis showing the company’s architecture for going forward with electrification. Very cool to see.
Aaron is an automotive journalist living in Wyoming, USA. His background includes technology, mechanics, commercial vehicles, and new vehicle evaluations. Aaron is a member of several automotive media groups and writes for many well-known publications.