I attended a media event to preview the Seattle Auto Show so I could check out the electric and hybrid cars and as always the opinions and views on this blog are my own.
The 2017 Auto Show is in Seattle this weekend and I was so excited to check out the new electric and hybrid cars that were there. We have been driving electric for just over 2 years and it’s been so awesome for our family’s lifestyle. There are over 500 cars at this Auto show and it’s nice to see a growing number of them are electric and hybrid too. Now it feels like if you want to drive electric you can actually start choosing your car based on designs you love rather than just going with the one electric car in the shop.
I checked out the 2018 Honda Clarity which is a hybrid plug in car. It has driver assist technologies (how did we ever live without these things!) and has Apple CarPlay. I like that the inside of the car has environmentally conscious interior materials and I think it’s nice looking too.
Ford has something called the 2018 C-Max Hybrid. I sat in it and the roof is actually quite high and it makes it feel like a bigger car even though it’s not huge and this is one I might consider for a family. The car I sat in at the auto show was not a plug-in but when I checked online it looks like there is also a C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid and I’m now curious about the differences in these two cars.
BMW had a great showing of Hybrid and Plug-in Cars. I liked the look of the 2017 BMW X5Drive40e which looked more like a traditional SUV but had a plug-in charger. This looked like a vehicle I could transport my family in but still be able to try using electric too.
The new Chevy Bolt is on display and I think there might even be test-drives of this car. We actually started driving electric because I tested out the Chevy Volt-a hybrid plug-in car and I was surprised at how I drove mostly electric in the week that I borrowed the car.
Apparently this Chrysler hybrid Mini Van is the first electrified mini van.
And of course I was glad to see the Tesla. When I went by the booth this one seemed to have the most staff. The Tesla X is still out of this world with its wing-like doors. I really can’t wait to see the Model 3. We drive a model S and it’s a little big for me but it’s been so great for driving up to the mountain and it feels really safe.
As an electric car owner, I’m glad that there is a growing number of vehicle options for consumers. I also noticed there were quite a few stations for humans to charge at the Seattle Auto Show too!
Bringing kids to the Auto Show is easy because kids under 12 get free entry. There is an area that is for ages 3-7 where they can test drive a variety of battery-powered cars. They can also paint their own wooden cars, get a portrait done by a caricaturist or get their face painted. (Face painting is Saturday and Sunday only from noon-5pm.) A gaming truck will also be there on Saturday and Sunday with family-friendly video games. I think my guys would totally love this one.
Parents also get to test drive cars and there is a SUV obstacle course in the North parking lot that is designed to simulate a variety on and off road terrain situations. I totally think this would have been fun to try and we might have to come back this weekend!
As for more traditional energy cars, I loved seeing the convertible Beetle. I actually really liked this color too and the roof was perfect. This is an adorable car and if I didn’t have two growing 9-year-old boys I would love it. I’m looking forward to seeing Volkswagon’s electric van when it gets made-this might be something that fits our family a little better.
And my ultimate favorite and something I can see us with in a few years? I have always loved the Toyota 4 Runner. It’s rugged but doesn’t make an overtly rugged statement like some other more tough vehicles. It’s the kind I could do my grocery shopping with but still take up to the mountain. (Can we get a hybrid version?)
There were also fancy cars, a few vintage cars and car accessories for sale. Are you a car fanatic? Have you ever been to an auto show? And if you’re in Seattle, are you going to the Auto Show? I’d love to hear what kind of car you’re looking for!
(PS the Auto Show is open November 10-12 in Seattle and you can find more details here. As stated above I was attended a media preview and the opinions and views in this article are mine.)
(PPS. Wear good walking shoes. I was alone and I spent an hour and a half looking at cars and could have stayed a lot longer if I had more time that day. I think I logged nearly 10000 steps just wandering around.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)