“Everybody is coming through with their own electric vehicles and their versions of electric vehicles,” said Cleveland Auto Show President Lou Vitantonio. 

A lot has changed since Vitantonio first started with the auto show more than 25 years ago. 

“They just continue to continue and innovate and create better vehicles,” he said. “And they’re built so much better and they last so much longer.”

These days, cars are a lot more than just a way to get around. 

“Obviously it’s four wheels and a few doors, but all the technology that’s inside of it and how they operate, it’s just been amazing,” he said. 

Vitantonio said he’s noticed a “tenfold” increase of electric vehicles on the I-X Center floor from the last auto show in 2020. But while not paying for gas can be appealing, he said there are some drawbacks to going fully electric right now. 

“We can go to a gas station and fill up in three or four minutes, and we’re off and running for another 250, 300 miles,” he said. “We might not be able to do that with an electric vehicle. We have to plan it out, get to a charging station and spend, not just five minutes, you can spend 30 minutes charging your vehicle and then moving on with whatever trip you have to make.”

But, as a nationwide network of charging hubs becomes more available and gas prices continue to creep up, he said the electric evolution will continue to move forward. 

“We will see some shift in consumer demand towards more high, better fuel economy in some of these vehicles,” he said. 

The Cleveland Auto Show runs through March 6 at the I-X Center. For tickets and times, visit clevelandautoshow.com.