The Petersen Museum showcases Chip Ganassi Racing and 2 electric vehicle exhibits

Los Angeles — The Petersen Automotive Museum is now open for guests from Wednesday through Sunday. Two new exhibits about electric vehicles have recently opened and another features the Chip Ganassi Racing Team.

Free admission is offered to health care workers, first responders and their guests for the remainder of 2021. Face masks are required and social distancing are both enforced during your visit.

The “Alternating Currents” exhibit featured a special appearance of the all new Tesla Roadster prototype. It was only displayed for just two weeks. We’re told it comes with three electric motors with a top speed of 250 mph. Inside you’ll notice the race car inspired steering wheel and the giant center console screen. The second generation roadster will offer an expected driving range of over 600 miles. Wow!

Also featured are the first generation 2008 Tesla Roadster and a 2009 Tesla Model S which will both remain on display. Museum goers can also check out the Tesla battery pack and several charging stations as well to learn how it all works.

Did you know?? One of the world’s first electric cars was this 1915 Detroit Electric model 61 and you’ll find it in the exhibit too. It was built from about 1907 to 1939. These were popular with women such as the wives of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and other early automotive pioneers.

Another vehicle of note is the GM EV1 which was General Motors’ first attempt at an electric vehicle to gauge consumer interest. It was built from about 1996 to 1999. EV1s were only available in certain states and on lease programs. Shortly after, the program was cancelled and most of the EV1s were crushed–but this one survived.

The “Building an Electric Future” exhibit is sponsored by Volkswagen and showcases the development of the ID.4 electric vehicle. Museum goers can see the body and chassis of the new ID3 along with all of the battery components. At the end of the exhibit you’ll see the all new 2021 Volkswagen ID4. It features a rear-mounted electric motor and an 82 kWh battery pack producing 201 hp. There’s also three concept car models to explain the design process.

The Chip Ganassi Racing exhibit highlights the auto racing teams successes in NASCAR, Indycar and the IMSA United Sports Car Championship. Some of the race cars displayed include:

• Kurt Busch’s No. 1 Toyota that he raced in the 2019 Dover Monster Energy Cup series race
• Dario Franchitti’s Target Indycar that won the 2010 Indianapolis 500
• Scott Dixon’s PNC Bank Indycar that won the 2018 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix race
• There’s also a 2016 Ford GT that won the 24 hours of Daytona race in 2017. That car was driven by Sebastian Bourdais, Joey Hand, and Dirk Muller

You’ll also notice the race trophies are prominently displayed next to the winning race cars. That includes the BorgWarner trophy for the Indianapolis 500 winner and the Detroit Grand Prix trophy.

I greatly enjoyed all three of these new exhibits. I think all car enthusiasts will too! Make sure to plan at least two hours to check out all of the cars.

Visit The Petersen at the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles. For tickets and more info, go to www.petersen.org.

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Visit The Petersen at the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles. For tickets and more info, go to www.petersen.org.

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