Neal Morton Nov. 5, 2014 Updated: Nov. 7, 2014 12:53 a.m.
Car enthusiasts should expect an emphasis on green this weekend when they attend the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show.
The annual four-day event, which runs through Sunday, features the expected and crowd-pleasing showcase of restored hot rods, foreign muscle cars and luxury vehicles. But auto manufacturers selected this year’s show, held in the heart of truck country, to exhibit the advances made in the fuel efficiency of their new pickup lines.
Bob Hegbloom, president and CEO of the Ram truck brand, even made an appearance during a media preview on Thursday to accept the Green Car Journal’s inaugural Green Truck of the Year Award.
The trade journal selected the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which earned a 28 mpg rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as America’s most fuel-efficient pickup.
From 2 to 10 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Convention Center.
Tickets cost $10; children 10 and under get in free with an adult.
For more information, visit saautoshow.com.
“If you went back five years ago and looked at a truck like this and were told you could get 28 miles to the gallon, you would’ve said, 'No way,’” Hegbloom said. “The average age of a truck out in the marketplace is 11 years old.
Green Car Journal announced its award on the same day AAA Texas reported that retail gasoline prices continue to tumble as motorists now pay a statewide average of $2.75 per gallon. The national average, meanwhile, fell from $3.01 to $2.95.
While Hegbloom said cheaper fuel prices typically boost truck sales, he also noted that December is the busiest month for the segment, in large part thanks to commercial customers trying to take advantage of tax incentives.
At this year’s auto show, more than two dozen manufacturers will display about 300 makes and models of their most popular cars and trucks.
Toyota, which produces the Tacoma and Tundra pickups at its plant on the South Side, used the event to highlight its updated Camry sedan and Sienna minivan.
“While we’re proud of the fact that Tacoma and Tundra are built in San Antonio, both the new 2015 Camry, which has been America’s best-selling car for 12 years straight, and the new Sienna are as popular in Texas as they are across the rest of the country,” Greg Thome, regional communications manager for Toyota, said in an email.
Not far from the Toyota exhibit, Austin-based dealership group Late European roped off a Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lotus and Aston Martin.
Ted Hawkins, head of the dealership, said he receives plenty of interest in the pricey British vehicles from customers across South Texas.