Many consumers attending the Chicago Auto Show will be looking to purchase their first electric vehicle, and they’ll be able to learn everything they need to know at McCormick Place.
This year’s show, taking place Feb. 11-20, features nearly 30 electric vehicles. The Chicago Drives Electric indoor test track also returns to the auto show floor bigger and better than before covering 100,000 square feet of show floor space.
“With all the interest in EVs, what consumers want to know is how do I charge an EV if I buy one,” says Autel Energy Chief Operating Officer John Thomas. “We’re here at this year’s show to answer your questions, and it’s really not complicated. Eighty percent of charging is done at home. What worries people is the charging that they do away from home. We offer both solutions, at home charging and charging for your community.
“The great thing about EVs is you never have to go to a gas station. Your vehicle can always be full,” Thomas says. “Most people charge their EVs like they charge their phones. You charge when you get home. That way, every morning when you leave you have a full charge. What can be complicated is selecting the kind of charger you want for your home or what kind of charger your township should install. For that, you must do your research. We’re here to help and encourage you to visit the EV Test Track for a test drive and stop by our Autel Energy exhibit near the track to learn about charging.”
Autel Energy has a 3,000-square-foot exhibit space adjacent to the track in the South Hall. The EV charging company is providing 15 chargers to keep all participating EVs on the track charged overnight.
Autel Energy’s MaxiCharger family of products includes AC (Level 2) home and commercial chargers, DC bi-directional vehicle-to-everything (V2X) home charging, DC fast charging (Level 3) and digital energy management offerings, including mobile apps and Autel’s ChargeCloud, the only all-in-one charging cloud solution available today. Autel’s holistic approach to curating solutions that address the needs of the entire charging ecosystem helps balance the grid while enabling the organic expansion of power access.
Autel Energy has sold more than 10,000 residential and commercial EV chargers in only four months, with new customers signing on daily.
The 2023 Chicago Auto Show runs Feb. 11-20 at McCormick Place and is open to the public daily at 10 a.m. Tickets to the show are on sale at ChicagoAutoShow.com.