Lexus
Toyota’s luxurious sibling didn’t seem to attract the same kind of foot traffic that other manufacturers managed. Lexus reported just 209 test drives over the weekend, spread across four RZ 450e models and two RX 450h+ models.
The relatively low number of test drives may have more to do with the availability of vehicles than their popularity. On Sunday afternoon when I walked up to talk to the Lexus staff member who was checking attendees in for test drives. I saw a couple in front of me get turned away because all of Lexus’s test drive slots were full for the rest of the day. A spokesperson for Lexus said the automaker rotated their cars in and out of the test driving fleet “based on charging needs.”
The Cybertruck-sized elephant in the room
“What about Tesla?!” I know, I know. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget the longtime EV leader. Unfortunately, the void where Tesla’s Public Relations department used to be doesn’t respond to press inquiries, so we couldn’t obtain an official number for how many test drives Tesla did over the expo weekend. But, when I talked to a Tesla staff member who was helping check people in for test drives, they told me they already had about 1,500 test drives so far, with hours left to go on Sunday.
Attendees lined up to test drive the Model S, Model 3 and Model Y, but the crowd-favorite — by a large margin — was the Cybertruck. “Everyone wants to drive the Cybertruck,” the staff member said to me. The excitement over Tesla’s most divisive model was best summed up by a little kid who shouted as he walked into the test-driving area: “Daddy, Cybertruck!” Still, exactly how many people wanted to test-drive Tesla’s fleet is a mystery.
Related: Ford is paying dealers $20K+ to order 2024 F-150 Lightning trucks
Hummer, Porsche and Volvo too shy to share
Despite their relatively large footprints at the expo, GMC, Porsche, and Volvo all declined to share the exact number of test drives they provided over the weekend. Without official numbers, we can’t rank their popularity compared to other automakers, but they all seemed relatively popular while I walked around on Sunday.
The spectacle, let’s say, of the Cybertruck was hard to compete against, but GMC’s imposing new Hummer EV tried its best. The eight Hummer EVs that GMC brought for test driving attracted a variety of attendees, but like the Hot Wheels-esque Cybertruck, their primary audience appeared to be little kids.
Elijah Nicholson-Messmer
Porsche showed out with an expo-topping 17-car fleet, including 10 Macan models, six Taycan models, and one Cayenne Turbo e-hybrid.
Volvo, meanwhile, had 12 different cars on offer, including multiple electrified XC40s, C40s, XC60s and XC90s.
Final thoughts
So what does this decidedly unscientific assessment tell us? Perhaps the clearest takeaway is that little kids (and a fair number of adults) still really like big, shiny trucks. What else? It also tells us that the market for EVs is big. Whether you’re making expensive, ultra-sleek models like Rivian and Lucid or you’re producing practical, more budget-friendly options like Toyota and Nissan, there are still many consumers who are eager to get behind the wheel of an EV.
Related: The most affordable EV in the US ($35,000) with 300+ miles of range is here
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