This year, Goodwood felt different. The petrolhead theatre was still there, of course, but electric vehicles (EVs) were no longer a side attraction or a token gesture. They were everywhere: on the stands, on the hill, in the launch schedules, and perhaps most tellingly, in the conversations.

For many years, I had wanted to visit the Goodwood Festival of Speed. My first visit came in 2021 with Ford, back when I achieved the first three Guinness World Records. At that point, electric vehicles were still very much the exception: an oddity, with perhaps one tucked away on a manufacturer stand at an event aimed squarely at petrolheads, where the noise of revving engines filled the air.

When I returned in 2024, there was a noticeable shift. Electric cars were no longer quite so far on the sidelines. The Chinese-owned brand MG sponsored the sculpture for the launch of the fully electric Cyberster, while Hyundai used the event to show off the first of its performance ’N’ series, with the IONIQ 5 N racing up the hill. There was also the dedicated Electric Avenue, displaying the latest EVs from a number of manufacturers.

Fast forward to this year’s event and the change was staggering. The most obvious example was the BYD stand, which used the event to launch its Denza brand into the UK, complete with live demonstrations of flash charging and a showcase of several Yangwang products. Their stand had to be seen to be believed: a massive two-storey construction, possibly the biggest I have seen at the event.

I have mixed feelings about the Denza products. Don’t get me wrong, they have loads of technology and capability and will no doubt be well put together, but with prices starting at over £70,000, do they have the brand appeal to attract buyers away from BMW, Mercedes and Porsche? That is something I’m not so sure about just yet.

Next up was Hyundai. Their stand this year was entirely electric, with the new IONIQ 3 taking the most prominent position. This keenly priced five-door hatch should sell well, alongside with the Kia EV2, with which it shares a platform and powertrain. If previous group vehicles are anything to go by, it should also be pretty efficient and easy to beat on its WLTP figures.

Also on the stand were two impressive products from the ’N’ series, in both IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 guise. I loved the IONIQ 5 when I had it on test, with its virtual gear changes and engine noises. It goes to show that electric vehicles can be fun and engaging to drive, not the bland, boring white goods many describe them as. I’m looking forward to driving the IONIQ 6N soon, and I will admit that car’s front-end styling massively improves the look. I will be keen to see if I can beat the WLTP figure when I drive it. Interestingly, there were no Hyundai ICE models featured on their stand at all.

Then over to the Renault stand. Here again it was mostly electric vehicles, and Renault are really on their A-game with EVs at the moment. The Renault 5, Renault 4, and Twingo, all capture the style and heritage of the brand while being thoroughly modern. It does, however, make me feel old when cars such as the original Twingo are now considered heritage.

Here’s the interesting thing: the Chinese brands may have all the technology on their side, but one thing they don’t have is heritage, as they are still very new to the car market.

I think we will see more and more traditional brands going back to their roots with modern reinterpretations of their most iconic models.

My star of the stand, was the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, with its unique in-wheel motors and design inspired by the original Renault 5 Turbo. It was great to see the two cars side by side on the stand, before watching them tackle the hill.

Next to the Renault stand was Alpine, featuring the electric A290, alongside the bigger A390. Even more exciting was seeing a prototype of the fully electric A110 sports car. This was made even more special by having the classic model also displayed, giving a real sense of where the brand has come from, and where it is heading next.

After the display of dancing robots, electric models were a fixture of the MG stand, with the unveiling of the new MG GO Concept. The GO concept, is aimed squarely at the Renault 5 E-Tech, and the incoming Volkswagen ID.Polo.

Elsewhere, Mercedes debuted the AMG version of the electric CLA, BMW had the new I3, iX3 and iX5, while MINI displayed the electric Aceman, Cooper,  and Countryman models on display, alongside the usual performance machinery expected at the Festival of Speed.

This mixture of mainstream EVs, luxury electric models, and outright performance machinery, really demonstrated just how broad the EV market is now.

So what was my highlight of the show? Well, that had to be going up the legendary Goodwood Hill in the new Omoda 7, with Hannah Burgess behind the wheel! I can vouch that she definitely wasn’t hanging about!

Again, Omoda is yet another new brand that didn’t really exist in the UK three years ago, yet is now confidently using Goodwood as a shop window. They company was also offering live test drives throughout the entire event, and they were fully booked every day.

The interesting thing is that, although the show is still primarily focused on speed, it has also become something of moving motor show, with a growing number of manufacturers using it to launch new models. That makes this event more appealing to fleet managers wanting to see the latest products on the market, as well as enthusiasts who still come for the noise, drama and spectacle. Whether this changes with the relaunch of the British Motor Show at Excel London next year, only time will tell.

The one thing it did do, was give me pause for thought. I wonder if the days of dedicated EV show are numbered? As much as I have enjoyed them in the past, I think things have moved on. EVs are no longer the alternative exhibit tucked away in a corner; they are now part of the main event and, increasingly, just another integral part of the motoring landscape.

That, in itself, has to be a good thing.