LOS ANGELES (Aug. 5, 2024) – The Petersen Automotive Museum launched four new exhibits this month, marking the largest simultaneous exhibit launch in its 30-year history. Each exhibit features a variety of automotive innovations, ranging from historical concept vehicles to rare hypercars to futuristic prototypes.

Here’s a look at what is now featured on the second floor of the world’s premier automotive museum:

Alternating Currents: The Fall and Rise of Electric Vehicles
This exhibit, supported by BMW and Clarios, spotlights the progression of electric vehicles from the late 1800s to modern concepts. “Alternating Currents” traces the evolution of electric vehicle production and use from the early days to the modern resurgence and future advancements. 

Highlighted vehicles on display include the 1896 Riker electric roadster, 1928 Auto Red Bug electric roadster, 1969 GM XP 512E, 1970s Zagato Zele 1000, 1981 HMV FreeWay, 1991 BMW E2 concept, 1992 GM Impact, 1996 AC Propulsion tZero, 2009 Mini E and 2021 Lanark DS Roadster. Just outside the museum’s main entrance, visitors will see the Clarios x OPTIMA Batteries Rivian R1T and OPTIMA Power Station, a custom trailer from Turtleback Trailers designed to power a camp and provide Level 2 charging for the Rivian. From leading the largest EV off-road experience – OPTIMA Unplugged powered by Clarios – through the treacherous terrain of Johnson Valley to scaling the summit of Pikes Peak, this Rivian has elevated EV adventuring to an unprecedented level. Clarios is the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of low-voltage batteries and solutions with its batteries found in one in three vehicles on the road globally.

Modern Concepts: Future Visions from the Recent Past 
“Modern Concepts” highlights the past marvels of concept cars produced since the Petersen Automotive Museum’s opening in 1994. Notable vehicles on display include the 1995 Ford GT90, 1999 Ford 021C, 2002 XENO III, 2002 Cadillac Cien, 2004 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve and 2008 Honda FC Sport. 

Super/Hyper: The Ultimate Automobiles
The museum showcases the pinnacle of automotive performance with a rotating display of iconic supercars and hypercars, including some of the fastest, most powerful and most audacious models from the 1960s to the present day. Highlighted vehicles include a 2020 Bugatti Divo, 2022 Apollo Intensa Emozione, 2017 Pagani Huayra BC and 2008 Koenigsegg CCXR.

Driven by Possibility: Waymo’s Road to Autonomous Transport
This exhibit highlights Waymo’s groundbreaking advancements in autonomous driving technology, from its beginnings as the Google self-driving car project to its status as a global leader in autonomous ride-hailing. Located in the Production Gallery, visitors can catch a glimpse behind the scenes of Waymo’s development process through never-before-seen objects. Featured vehicles include Waymo’s Firefly prototype, the first autonomous vehicle to pilot a passenger without an accompanying driver, a prototype version of Waymo’s next-generation Zeekr platform, and the Terregator, a six-wheeled mobile robot built by the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute in 1984.

“In the museum’s 30-year history, we have never opened this many exhibits at once, and this collection showcases the depth and breadth of the automotive landscape,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “We are constantly pushing the limits and finding new ways to bring automotive ingenuity from the past and future to our guests.”

To purchase tickets or for more information about the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit Petersen.org/exhibits.