• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, April 4, 2022

Automakers are gearing up for the first New York auto show in three years at the fully expanded Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Media days, which are next Wednesday and Thursday, will include press conferences from Jeep, Hyundai, Kia, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Nissan, Plug Zen, Deus Automobiles, Cobera Automotive and VinFast. 

MediaPost will also host its 12th installment of the popular Marketing: Automotive conference, which will explore how the OEMs are distinguishing themselves in the burgeoning EV market. Executives scheduled to speak include Nissan’s Allyson Witherspoon, Kia’s Russell Wager, Infiniti’s Shelley Pratt and Volkswagen of America’s Kimberley Gardiner and Elisa Castro. 

The media will also be the first to check out what is likely to be a big hit during the public attendance days, April 15-24: a huge “Electric Test Fest” that will take up two-thirds of the show’s lower level.

Attendees can ride in a wide range of electric vehicles including new models from Chevrolet, Kia, Nissan, Volvo, and EV start ups DEUS Automobiles from Austria, INDI from California and Vietnam's VinFast. In addition, Ford and Hyundai will incorporate EV test tracks into their own displays on the main show floor so consumers can take a ride in even more electrics. 

Professional drivers will demonstrate vehicles attribute including quick acceleration, quiet ride and high-tech features, while charging partners will highlight the simplicity of EV ownership through a series of informative displays.

Nearly the entire level of the convention center — 250,000 square feet of the show — is dedicated to plug-in electric vehicles, charging solutions and consumer awareness programs. On Level 1 of the Javits Center, attendees will be able to explore 3-wheeled and 2-wheeled electric vehicles.

The exhibit will be sponsored in part by Con Edison, Charge NY, New York Power Authority, NYSERDA and JD Power. 

“Today, we see a future that is electric and the New York Auto Show is once again at the leading edge of the process by which potential car buyers come to understand, desire, and ultimately purchase, the incredible products that the automobile industry has to offer," said Mark Schienberg, New York Auto Show president, in a release.

It’s hard to believe, but the last show was three long years ago in April 2019, long before we had any inkling of the soon-to-be all-consuming pandemic.

The April 2020 show was canceled in the early days of the coronavirus shutdown and Javits ended up becoming an overflow hospital and eventually a vaccine site.  The 2021 event was pushed back to Aug. 20-29, but again was canceled due to concerns about the COVID-19 Delta variant. Since then, Los Angeles and Chicago are among the cities that have successfully held large-scale auto shows last year and earlier this year, both requiring media and attendees to show proof of vaccines and to wear masks.

Due to New York's high vaccination rate and in accordance with state and city guidelines, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is only required for those working in the Javits Center. Show attendees do not need to show proof of vaccination and face coverings are no longer required to enter the building, per the show website.