This Week: Denver Auto Show Presented by AAA
AAA to focus on electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel, & mass mobility.
DENVER (Sept.14, 2021) - In its first outdoor exhibition since the last pandemic more than a century ago, the historic Denver Auto Show has returned to the Mile High City - this time at Elitch Gardens, and presented by AAA. The show runs from Wednesday, Sept. 15 through Sunday, Sept. 19 with tickets and more information available at DenverAutoShow.com.
Attendees can expect state-of-the-art automotive technology as showcased in the newest model-year import and domestic vehicles - including cars, vans, crossovers, hybrids, light trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
This year, electric vehicles will take center stage at Xcel Energy's Drive Electric Experience, offering attendees the chance to drive electric vehicles (EVs) while offering tips on how electric vehicles can fit your lifestyle. Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Kona EVs will also be making their Colorado debut, alongside newly electrified offerings from other major auto manufacturers.
AAA Colorado will be showcasing its dedicated electric vehicle charging truck, the nation's first when it debuted in 2015, now updated with cutting-edge charging technology.
"With nearly a century of service to Colorado, we're proud of our historic role in mapping the roads, numbering the highways, and popularizing the car in this great state," said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA - The Auto Club Group. "We've never stopped innovating. At the 2021 Denver Auto Show, we're proud to show Colorado all that we're doing to usher in another new era of mobility."
Future Fuels & Mass Transit
As part of the Denver Auto Show, and in partnership with New Day Hydrogen, AAA is proud to welcome the New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGE H2, a zero-emission, hydrogen-fuel-cell-electric bus, to Colorado for its first time. Powered by hydrogen fuel-cell technology, the bus can run long routes, up steep inclines, in cold or hot weather with the same performance and range as a diesel vehicle - and it fuels up in only minutes.
"Hydrogen fuel-cell technology is an exciting solution that will help decarbonize Colorado's transportation sector faster, because it offers gas/diesel vehicle owners the same performance and experience as their current vehicle," explains New Day Hydrogen's Chief Executive Officer, Seth Terry. "We've seen fleet and bus owners reluctant to switch to battery electric vehicles because the time lost to charging, the weight of the batteries, and the loss of range in the mountains and cold weather." New Day Hydrogen will build the fueling stations in Colorado to support the deployment of this technology.
The Xcelsior CHARGE H2 bus will be open to the public onsite at the Denver Auto Show - alongside Toyota's Mirai, a mid-size sedan and one of America's first commercially available fuel cell vehicles - on Friday, Sept. 17 from 9am to 9pm. Members of the press are invited to join for a tour, program, and media availability and Q&A at 3pm on Sept. 17.
"There's no question that the future of mobility will depend on mass transit, alternative fuels, and other new transportation tools," McKinley said. "AAA has always fought for the freedom to get around safely, no matter how you choose to go, and we're energized by every opportunity we get to expand that freedom - both by way of individual vehicle ownership, and beyond."
Learn more about the Xcelsior CHARGE H2, the Toyota Mirai, and other Denver Auto Show offerings at DenverAutoShow.com