by Amy Barzdukas
My longish journey home from the North American International Auto Show – I’ll just refer to it as “Detroit” – gave me a chance to reflect on the whole experience. What I saw. What I heard. And, where we’re headed.
The show was an interesting split of EVs on display and new ICE power vehicles announced. As a longtime Mustang fan and a marketer, I give Ford props for the new unveil and the way they included the general public. I’m not entirely sure why there were dinosaurs roaming the show – heralding the impending demise of ICE? — but we got some great photos!
There was a lot of excitement Wednesday morning (and, let’s face it, long security lines) when POTUS hit the show floor. He visited the big guys on the other side of the show, including GM and Ford. As a car guy, Biden got into a 2023 Corvette Z06 and drove an electric Cadillac Lyriq SUV, but unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to stop by our booth or see some of the innovative new concepts in the AutoMobili-D area of the show. If he had, he would have seen our Ford Mach-E with wireless charging capabilities and our wireless EV chargers. And if he had visited the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL), he would have experienced, first-hand, wireless charging. Fortunately, there were a lot of other people who got the opportunity at DSPL thanks to the shuttle that our friends at Bosch sponsored.
Back at the show, I had the opportunity to talk with OEMs, Tier 1s, and curiosity seekers who came to see what the fuss was about in the crowds that were always around our Mach-E. At our booth, we had a lot of fun showing the WiTricity Halo companion app and the videos that feature the Genesis GV60 (also a finalist for the Detroit Car of the Year).
Next year, a few things: One, keep the double cushioning carpet in the booth and the trail mix handouts. Both were saving graces for our staff and for visitors! Two, maybe add an espresso stand – coffee was sparse!
