Gentlemen, start your hybrids?
Detroit’s North American International Auto Show, held at Cobo Center, introduced a whole new generation of groundbreaking, green vehicles making the crowd “ooh” and “ahh.”
Staff Writer
MICHAEL WESTHOFF WASHTENAW VOICE
This year’s North American International Auto Show was all about breaking the rules — though not in a bad way, of course. The automotive industry is simply shifting gears. And what better place than Detroit to start spreading the word?
“We came from Ohio just to spend the day at the Auto Show,” said Dayton resident Allen Hubbard, who makes the trip with his family each year to the show.
This year’s theme: Green — while saving some, too. All eyes were on the eco-friendly cars depicting the latest alternative energy technologies.
Perhaps the most talked-about asset was Electric Avenue, a 37,000-square-foot showcase of electric automotive inventions on the main floor of Cobo Center. New to the Auto Show this year, Electric Avenue displayed the cutting-edge work of traditional Automakers and innovative entrepreneurs, which appealed to many.
“Electric Avenue is a great addition to the Auto Show because it has all the cool, new cars I thought I’d never see in my lifetime,” said Dwight Hamilton, of Allen Park.
As more energy efficient technologies are explored, hybrids and electric vehicles are quickly becoming more of a realistic concept among average drivers. Thanks to Detroit’s auto show, these ideas are more attainable, and far less futuristic.
Take the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s EcoXperience. As another new addition to the Auto Show, it gave visitors the opportunity to test-drive several electric vehicles that aren’t even on the market yet. A quarter-mile-long, the test track below the Cobo Center’s main floor, was disguised as part of a scenic forest to give riders the ultimate eco-friendly experience.
“It’s a fun way to actually ride in these hybrids that everyone’s talking about. They’re quiet and practical,” said A.J. Simpson, Pontiac. “I don’t want a car unless it’s practical.”
Lately, there have been debates on whether the auto show should remain in its hometown of Detroit where it has been held for more than a century. As North America’s largest and most prestigious automotive showcase, it’s the most lucrative event the city hosts.
“It would be a shame to see the auto show leave Detroit. It wouldn’t be the same without it,” Simpson said. “We can’t afford to lose all the money it brings in.”
Not to mention the employment opportunities. Daryl Partman, a Detroit resident who has worked the auto show floor for five years, depends on the annual event as a source of income. Without this job, as for many people in the same situation, life would change drastically.
Although several guests said the 2010 show was not as flamboyant as previous years, Detroit once again exceeded their expectations by thoroughly covering the main cause for the event: the roughly 1,000 innovative automotive companies that came to show off what they are today. And it was plenty.
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