Much as our recent Hot Wheels Fun Day at the Miami Cancer Institute was the spiritual descendant of the fondly-remembered Rides ‘n’ Smiles, our second annual ChargedUp Miami has its roots in another SAMA event. Between 2011 and 2019, the “Topless in Miami” ride-and-drive convertible competition at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne resort was a highlight of SAMA’s annual events calendar.
Sadly, COVID-19 put an abrupt end to plans for the 2020 event. After a 5-year hiatus, an evolving automotive marketplace and waning interest in traditional convertibles led to a reboot as ChargedUp Miami. This competition features electrified vehicles in their hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric iterations.
The initial ChargedUp event was held in 2024 at The Athletic Club Miami. Over a dozen vehicles were driven and evaluated by SAMA journalists over a driving route encompassing Miami Shores’ picturesque downtown and the Miami Shores Country Club. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Kia Sorento PHEV, Lucid Air and Rolls-Royce Spectre were voted as the category winners.
The 2025 event
The 2025 event was held at the same venue and following a similar suggested driving route. This year’s lack of participating plug-in hybrids, however, led to a reevaluation of vehicle categories. Rather than handing out awards by powertrain type, they were determined by body style. Cars are defined as sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks and station wagons. Utilities encompass SUV, crossover SUV and minivan body styles. Trucks are primarily pickups, but may also include cargo vans. These categories are further subdivided into mass-market and luxury brands.
Participating brands were Dodge, Ford, Genesis, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Lucid and Toyota. After evaluations by participating journalists, these four “Best of” winners were selected:
Car: Dodge Charger Daytona
Luxury Car: Lucid Air
Utility / Pickup: Ford F-150 Lightning
Luxury Utility: Lucid Gravity
