The San Diego International Auto Show (SDIAS) opened its doors on Dec. 28 to enthusiastic crowds and drew tens of thousands of car buyers to the San Diego Convention Center throughout its five-day run. And those car buyers were treated to a significantly enhanced show experience:

• 33% increase in the number of vehicle brands represented at the show, including 3 first-time exhibitors.
• 6 times as many brands offering thrill rides on the expanded EV Test Track.
• 9 brands offering street test drives of 24 different gas, hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Record 38 different plug-in models from 21 brands on display or in ride-and-drives.
• A dozen debuts and new releases on display in San Diego for the first time.

During the show, the San Diego Convention Center was transformed into the largest new vehicle showroom in California, as attendees flooded the show floor to check out all-new vehicle debuts, comparison shop various makes and models, learn about the latest new technology and even take test drives/rides of new models. And compare they did, as the San Diego International Auto Show generated more than 300,000 in-vehicle consumer experiences.

Spend some time on the show floor and it becomes clear why our attendees tell us that the auto show influences their vehicle purchases more than any form of advertising, social media or news coverage, and even more than advice from friends and family: 

• 74% of attendees indicate that the Auto Show influences their vehicle purchase decisions.
• 30% added brands to their purchase consideration lists that they weren’t considering before attending the show.
• 20% removed brands from their consideration lists because they weren’t at the show.

Not only do our show insights make it clear that car buyers are making purchase decisions while attending the SDIAS, but they also demonstrate that attendees are actively shopping for vehicles. 24% of SDIAS attendees indicate that they’re planning to make their next vehicle purchase within 6 months of attending the auto show, and an additional 24% within a year.

Dealers know how influential test drives can be, and that holds true at the SDIAS. Brands offering outdoor test drives of EV, PHEV and gasoline vehicles this year included Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Kia, Lucid, Ram and Volkswagen, while our expanded indoor EV Test Track, powered by LENZ Charging, offered EV thrill rides from Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo. 

• 43% of EV Test Track participants were introduced to a new vehicle that they had never considered before.
• 37% of street test drive participants were introduced to a new vehicle that they had never considered before.

And speaking of EVs, this year’s show was fully charged with a record 38 different EV models from 21 brands on display or in ride-and-drives. That’s far more EV brands and models than appear at EV-only events, and contributes to the influence the auto show has on EV consideration:

• 56% of SDIAS attendees are more likely to consider buying an EV after test driving one at the show.
• 54% of SDIAS attendees are more likely to consider buying an EV after experiencing the EV Test Track.

It’s also important to note that it was the first time driving an EV for 32% of those who took one for a test drive, and it was the first time riding in an EV for those who experienced the EV Test Track. This is all confirmation that the SDIAS is the best opportunity for brands to engage the next generation of EV buyers, and that the auto show will continue to lead San Diego’s transformation to an all-electric future as the largest and most important EV event in the region. 

Electric Avenue moved directly adjacent to the EV Test Track this year, providing an even better opportunity for consumers to compare EVs side-by-side and have questions answered by EV experts. Electric Avenue featured a variety of plug-in vehicles from Acura, Cadillac, Genesis, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Lexus, Lucid, Kia, Subaru, Volkswagen and Volvo. Several manufacturer product specialists and volunteers from the Electric Vehicle Association were on hand to help consumers understand the EV value proposition, and companies in the energy and charging space rounded out the exhibit.

While consumers are excited to see the wide variety of vehicles and brands on display, our attendee survey also demonstrates that they’re vocal when it comes to brands not represented at the show. Through comments in the survey, car buyers tell us again and again that vehicles they can’t see at the show are pushed further down, and often entirely off of their consideration lists in favor of vehicles that are present on the show floor or in test drives.

With growing inventories and increased sales competition, the SDIAS is prepared to help dealers move the sales needle. To incentivize absent brands to return to the show, we’ve developed affordable, turn-key packages for OE regions and dealer groups that maximize ROI and minimize extra work. These packages can include everything from exhibit space, carpet and branded exhibit properties, to vehicle prep and logistics, product specialists and lead-generation. And support isn’t limited to static displays, as we can deploy resources for dealer-supported ride and drive programs. Acura, Honda, Ineos Grenadier, Lincoln, Mitsubishi and Stellantis dealers have utilized many of these services over the past few shows, with great success. 

To enhance the show-going experience for attendees, feature attractions were popular once again this year. The GoldenBoy Mobility Zone featured a wide variety of accessible vehicles and adaptive equipment to help those with physical challenges, and the Sunday’s Family Day offered free admission to all children 12 and under to enjoy the many kid-friendly activities at the show. 

Nissan returned to sponsor our Military Appreciation program, which included the distribution of thousands of complimentary tickets to active and recently retired military personnel from their San Diego stores, in addition to supporting our military discount offers. 

Once again this year, media coverage of the show was exceptional, with local media outlets providing outstanding coverage throughout the entire run of the show.

• Live and recorded TV news segments from KUSI, Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC, etc. throughout the run of the show.
• More than 13 million gross impressions from TV, radio and digital marketing campaigns.
• Over $500k of on-site and on-air broadcast media promotions.

The San Diego Auto Show has always enjoyed a great relationship with local media, who understand that supporting the dealer community through auto show coverage parlays into success throughout the year for all concerned. Thank you to all of our valuable media partners for your continued support.