After a two-year hiatus, the Canadian Worldwide Auto Present is again in Toronto with an in depth catalog of vehicles you’ll be able to truly purchase and supercars most can solely dream of affording.

Nonetheless, with the rising curiosity in electrical autos (EVs), this 12 months’s Auto Present affords a brand new attraction, an indoor take a look at observe that’s obtainable to all attendees that maintain a full license.

I’ll admit that I’m not the most important fan of electrical autos for purely superficial causes. I discover EVs sterile trying and fairly boring to have a look at.

An EV needs to be extra futuristic, with appears like a DeLorean, a completely digital touch-screen dashboard throughout the complete automotive and provide design options like a wacky blue inside to assist it stand out.

As an alternative, the electrical automobile market is saturated with SUVs and infotainment programs that include a pill slapped in the midst of a dashboard with out a lot thought.

As a result of the typical EV usually appears so uninspiring, I assumed the driving expertise would evoke the identical emotions. In that sense, The Canadian Worldwide Auto Present’s new EV indoor take a look at observe is the proper alternative to focus on an viewers that feels apprehensive about these vehicles.

Apart from, who wouldn’t need to drive round an indoor take a look at observe?

Attendees have a selection of 13 vehicles from a number of automotive producers together with the next:

Cadillac Lyriq
Chevrolet Bolt/Bolt EUV
Hyundai Ioniq 5/Kona
Kia Niro/EV6
Nissan Ariya
Subaru Solterra
Lexus NX450h+
Toyota RAV4 Prime/bZ4X
VinFast VF 8

For my take a look at observe session, I drove the Hyundai Kona, the Ioniq 5’s barely much less widespread, smaller sibling. It took about half an hour to lastly take the automotive for a drive, although the wait time modifications based mostly on the mannequin you need to drive.

As anticipated, there are guidelines whereas on the take a look at observe, the principle one being that you would be able to’t exceed greater than 30km/h. This implies you’re not tapping into your internal Lewis Hamilton however reasonably channeling the way you’d drive along with your granddad within the passenger seat. It additionally means you don’t get the prospect to totally expertise what it might be wish to drive the EV on an actual highway.

These limitations make sense as a result of in any other case, the EV take a look at observe expertise would shut down after just a few hours resulting from crashes and indignant drivers barking at one another. As soon as I acquired into the Kona, my driving session lasted roughly 5 minutes (which is equal to 2 laps across the take a look at observe).


After my session was over, I couldn’t assist however really feel that the expertise felt a bit brief. This may have been solved by having at the very least another lap so you may get a really feel on your chosen automotive. Regardless of my complaints, I loved my time on the EV take a look at observe, and in comparison with my expertise at earlier Auto Reveals, it’s an awesome interactive attraction.

On the extra constructive facet, I like that regardless of the limiting guidelines of engagement, you continue to have full management over the automotive. It’s not a simulated expertise or a glorified pleasure experience. It additionally achieved its aim, not essentially promoting you on a selected EV however reasonably opening your thoughts as much as visiting a dealership for a correct take a look at drive.

Whereas I’m not completely bought on an electrical automobile but, I’m much more keen to check drive one sooner or later. The Canadian Worldwide Auto Present is open till February 26 on the Metro Toronto Conference Centre. The EV take a look at observe might be accessed on the 800 flooring.




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