BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The 2024 Buffalo Auto Show is off and running at the Buffalo Convention Center. So what are consumers looking for?
7 News Anchor Jeff Russo hit the showroom floor to check in on the hottest makes and models and to compare and contrast the cost of a traditional gas SUV with a comparable electric SUV.
To start we checked in with Paul Stasiak, President of the Niagara Frontier Auto Dealers.
What do people like about the Buffalo Auto Show?
Stasiak: "People can walk freely, window shop, and get as intense as they want with information. They can leave here knowing they don't have to do business if they don't want to. Hopefully gather everything they need to make a decision whenever that decision is.
Do you find more people are taking a look at electric vehicles?
Stasiak: "Definitely, They are mystified. Is the range good? How do I charge? What's the cost? They are trying to figure out if this is something that works for me. It's going to be a slower ramp-up in Western New York, let's be honest. We don't have the infrastructure yet, but the dealers do, and the people are starting to do that now to find a way to make it work."
What are you hearing from consumers surrounding electric vehicles?
Stasiak: "There is a tremendous amount of inquiry right now, and we hope that this Auto Show dispels a lot of myths. These cars are now going over 300 miles, a Hummer is over 400 miles. You are in Buffalo, a 13-minute commute. You can charge this thing and get days out of it, and it doesn't take you weeks to recharge"
7 News looked into the pricing of two comparable crossover SUVs at the Auto Show.
| 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL (gas) | 2023 Volkswagon ID.4 Pro S (Electric) |
| Price: $40,709 | Price: $57,270 |
| Annual Fuel Cost: $2,250 | Annual Fuel Cost: $700 |
We spoke with John Markowitz, Senior Director of e-Mobility at the New York Power Authority, about how electric vehicles and people's questions about the technology.
Have prices evolved for EVs over the last few years?
Markowitz: "They are more expensive than an equivalent gas car. You make up for a lot of that by electricity at home being half the price of filling up for gas. Then there are these incentives that help bring that price gap between the electric and the gas down. There is a Federal tax credit up to $7500, depending on the model of the car. Then there is a state credit anywhere between $500 and $2000, again, depending on the model of the car. So then you have to do some math to figure out how much this car is going to cost me out the door."
