2022 New York Auto Show and its Electrifying Return to the Big Apple

The New York Auto Show opened its doors to the public on April 15 at the Javits Center and kept them open through April 24. The Autonomy team was there during media days, our first time back after a two-year absence because of the pandemic. Dating back to 1900, the New York Auto Show is the nation's oldest, taking place each Spring in the sprawling Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan.

The New York Auto Show has played home to many significant world debuts over the years, so we've come to expect an abundance of flashy concept displays and extravagant new-vehicle launches. 

This year's return was slightly more sedate and absolutely less crowded than the standing-room-only events familiar from past years; we can thank the pandemic for that, as last-minute cancellations over the last two auto show seasons have made many manufacturers (and journalists alike) hesitant to commit. 

And, rather than hold events at Javitz, several high-end luxury automakers -- including Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Cadillac, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, and Volvo -- instead chose to reveal their vehicles off-site or skip the show entirely.

Regardless, we appreciated the opportunity to review the assortment of new cars and concepts on display during the media preview and especially enjoyed catching up with colleagues we haven't seen during the last two years of isolation from such large events.

Among the many vehicles there on the show floor, it was easy to see the shift to electric vehicles, with a wide array of all-electric and plug-in hybrid models highlighted among the displays. 

A couple of automakers, namely Ford and Hyundai, had their own dedicated test tracks as part of their display, where visitors could take a short test drive in one of their highlighted models, such as the F-150 Lightning and Mach-e, or the Ioniq 5. 

Downstairs, the first floor of the Javitz center contained an indoor multi-brand EV test track as part of the show’s 250,000-square-foot EV display where show visitors can take a ride in a wide range of electric production models and concepts including the Chevrolet Bolt, INDI EV’s INDI One, Kia EV6, Nissan Leaf, VinFast VF 8, Volkswagen ID.4 EV, Volvo XC 40 Recharge.

Outside, at Camp Jeep, visitors could take a ride through an outdoor obstacle course that includes a 28-foot/45-degree climb up “Jeep Mountain” in a Wrangler Unlimited 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe (as well as other traditional internal combustion models).

We've already posted several quick reviews of some of the electric vehicles there, namely the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, 2023 Kia Niro EV, 2023 Nissan Ariya, 2023 Toyota bZ4X, Chrysler Airflow Concept, Volkswagen ID.Buzz, and the INDI EV One, and expect to post a few more in the upcoming days.

We're looking forward to providing more in-depth hands-on reviews of these and other electric vehicles in the near future, so stay tuned!