Detroit Auto Show gets $8M boost from Michigan taxpayers

The North American International Auto Show, better known in Detroit as The Auto Show, was received an $8 million earmark in the 2024 Michigan budget.

The first automobile exhibit in Detroit happened in 1899 and was the precursor of what eventually would become the North American International Auto Show, according to the Detroit Historical Society. The event attracts up to 800,000 visitors each year and claims to have brought $1 billion in economic activity to the Detroit area in 2023, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

Admission ranges from $20 for adults to $10 for children. The show will produce millions of dollars in revenue from ticket sales and sponsors of the event. The next scheduled show is January 2025. The website for the event promises a “Powering Michigan EV Experience” and says visitors will have the chance to “immerse themselves in a wide range of electric vehicles.”

Electric vehicle sales have slowed due to waning demand, as a growing number of owners report problems with charging times, cost and charging availability. Ford Motor Co. announced it will shift 1,400 employees from producing its Ford F150 Lightning to working on gas-powered vehicles, according to The Wall Street Journal.

CapCon is committed to highlighting the problem with pork projects funded by taxpayers, including industry trade shows.

When lawmakers award the money there is no vetting process, committee hearings on the necessity of the funding, and no way for other organizations to compete for the pot of money. Awardees are hand-picked by lawmakers who lobby to bring state tax money to their districts.