Erika Towne

Silicon Valley Auto Show Returns to Santa Clara Convention Center

The Silicon Valley Auto Show returns to the Santa Clara Convention Center this weekend to showcase the newest developments in the auto industry.

“It’s largely a new car show designed to give shoppers and enthusiasts an early look at new technology, new vehicles, and even get them behind the wheel of certain new cars,” said Brian Moody, Autotrader executive editor. “You can accomplish either just browsing or shopping in one place. There’s no selling. And that’s the idea, to serve that community with a show that features many different brands all at one place without the pressure of having to buy or even talking to a salesperson.”

Moody says more luxury automakers will have a presence than in the past few years, including Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover and Lucid.

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Guests will also see some of the newest technology, such as larger than life displays, 3D-surround view monitoring, augmented reality and car personalization, among other things.

“There’s a new Dodge Daytona, which is an electric car that is also a performance car, and that’s the one that has ‘audible’ exhaust sound,” said Moody. “So, when you take off, it sounds like a cool car taking off, even though it’s just a speaker.”

Visitors to this weekend’s auto show can also test drive cars like the Cadillac Optiq and Lyriq, all of the Tesla models including the Cybertruck, the Volkswagen I.D. Buzz as well as Lucid and Toyota vehicles.

Most of all, anyone can ask questions in a safe, no judgement environment.

“Rather than salespeople, they have product experts. In the past, we might have called them spokesmodels or something like that,” said Moody. “They’ll have young men and women there, but they’re not just there standing near the car looking good. They actually know facts. They know how the technology works. They know how much it costs. They know how the apps work, how your phone works with the car, like that kind of stuff.

“It’s a good place to go and ask questions and not feel stupid. Some people go to the dealership, and they’re like, ‘Well, I don’t want to look dumb,’ but there’s no pressure of that,” continued Moody. “There’s people there whose job is to tell you, this is how it works. And then you can judge for yourself by sitting in it, pressing the buttons, or even driving it outside. And see if that’s the right thing for you.”

The Silicon Valley Auto Show returns to the Convention Center at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 and run through Sunday at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The hours are Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, military and children 8-12 years old. For more information, visit the auto show’s website at svautoshow.com.

Silicon Valley Auto Show Returns to Santa Clara Convention Center

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