From Electric Cars To Speedy Roadsters, The Newest Concept Cars (PHOTOS)

The Big Three automakers - GM, Chrysler, Ford - and their foreign counterparts tried to show that they're committed to environmentally-friendly, fashion-forward vehicles at the North American International Auto Show.

Along the way, the American firms went out of their way to win goodwill from a public that was divided over the recent auto bailout. According to the Associated Press:

They told their stories in different ways, with Chrysler LLC making its senior executives available to assure people that it remains a viable company. General Motors Corp. held a pep rally with hundreds of cheering employees and supporters who watched a parade of 17 new and upcoming vehicles. Ford Motor Co. emphasized its plans for electric vehicles, joining the list of automakers that have promised one next year.

CLICK THROUGH A SLIDESHOW OF CARS FEATURED AT THE AUTO SHOW:

• • • • • • • • • • • The new Dodge Circuit EV, an all-electric sports car, is introduced to the media in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

Comments

[strangebee]

Why do they keep effin' with the Mini! It just keeps getting more and more bloated looking. It was looking so tight 2+ years ago.

[mjasper]

I can find nothing that compares to the Tesla.
If backed by government loan at a small percentage of the big three they could roll out that
sedan that's waiting on the back burner and would sell like hot cakes and really put people back to work.

I guess they don't pay enough to outdo the big three auto lobby, no?

[senorlou]

How much does a Telsa cost? $80K? $100K? Why is it that only Honda and Toyota so far understand that "green" cars need to be affordable? Your average American wouldn't be able to afford a Tesla, so only a very few will ever drive it. It's great from a pioneering technological standpoint, but it's not a practical car. We need practical and affordable ASAP. So far, only two companies get that.

[EinChicago]

The Tesla is in teh real world, slightly less useless than a 7 day old moldy burrito. It takes hours to recharge and has a limited range. Unless and until it is combined with some type of readily available refule range extender that makes it capable of theoretically unlimited range if necessary, it will never take off.

[KillTheMessenger]

I can't find anything like the Tesla, either. Every other car has a glove compartment that is larger than the Tesla's whole cabin.

:-)

[slycowboy]

What, no Tesla??? Get real Mr. Car Show Reporter.

[BassMent]

Two observations.

First, I've been going to auto shows for 30 years. I always walk around looking at the concept cars and saying, "Yup, I'd buy that. Oh, and that one over there too." I almost always tell the people manning the displays that I'd buy their concept car. You wanna know how many of those concept cars I have seen come to fruition in 30 years? As opposed to yet another behemoth SUV or yet another boring-ass Camry? And I'm talking ALL manufacturers, not just the Big Three.

Second, this whole meme about the Big Three building cars that no one wants to buy is just a myth. American car manufacturers were doing just fine until about 18 months ago when the fuel price panic began, which in turn put them in a worse position for the credit crunch that followed in the wake of the collapse of the mortgage market. Before that, the small, economical cars they did build sat on the lot, while buyers were on waiting lists for Hummers, Navigators, Suburbans and the like. They built the cars that Americans wanted to buy, fuel economy be damned. It's important to remember that prior to 2007 the Prius was nothing more than an oddity, one on which Toyota lost a LOT of money during the first few years of production.

[Viper]

And GM is still the number one car seller and if Toyota paid healthcare for its employees in Japan its B/S (already burdened by debt, due to selling at cost to get market share) would be worse than GM. Foriegn car MFGs with state healthcare... get a major subsidy, along woth protected home markets, paid for research and development, tax credit for each car exported and zero interest loans. Of course none of that is called a bailout..

Twice as many mustangs per month are sold in the US than Prius around the world.


Regards

[Arthur954]

Lets do the same things here in US as they do in Japan - what is holding us back ? if its ideology, lets get rid of it !

[KillTheMessenger]

Same old lies... tststs...

:-)

[senorlou]

To even compare the Chevy Aveo or Ford Focus to anything the Japanese are making is a crack up. The US manufacturers, who should have seen the crisis coming years ago (it was over $3 a gal right after Katrina) should have started putting R & D into the small car segment. The Aveo is like a 70s Datsun. I know, I drove it for two weeks. I drove a Focus for a month. I went out and bought a Japanese car right away after that ('06 Scion Xb). The US car companies have good small cars in Europe, but they aren't bringing them here, yet. They messed up.

[patrickjkiger]

Concept cars are really technological and/or design experiments, not prototypes of future production cars. But a few of them do eventually make it into production--the Pontiac Solstice roadster is an example.

I also disagree with your analysis of the U.S. car business. The SUV essentially was invented by U.S. automakers as a way to evade CAFE standards, and they aggressively marketed them to the public because they made a higher profit margin on them. They kept making big SUVS even after the market began to turn away from them because those platforms were based at plants where the automakers had the highest legacy costs in terms of retiree benefits. They basically chose not to compete with Toyota and Honda in the fuel-efficient economy car niche. When California tried to pressure them into making fuel-efficient, non-polluting cars in the 1990s, they all fought tooth and nail against it.

As for Toyota losing money initially on the Prius, I would call that an investment in the future, not a loss. Up until this year's global financial crisis, Toyota was profitable for every single year of its existence, so they could easily afford it. It strikes me as a bet that will pay off. They sold 150,000 Priuses last year and had trouble meeting the demand, which is why they're gearing up to build them in Mississippi when the recession is over.

[jaundicedview]

OOH ! The electric Cadillac will get an estimated 40 miles on a charge? Why is it that GM EVs can't seem to approach the range of your average vocational school EV project?

[shadowkahn]

Because the average vocational school EV project is made of carbon fiber, has bicycle wheels, weighs less than 300 pounds, is not street legal, and wouldn't survive colliding with a kleenex .. .

[KillTheMessenger]

The home made EVs have one advantage, though... they actually move. In comparison the Volt always freezes when someone other than its engineers look at it.

[Nick Aziz - Huffpost Blogger]

Because it's not a pure electric vehicle. It's a range-extended EV meaning it has a small gas generator on board. If it was pure electric there would be more room for batteries and thus an greater electric range.

[KillTheMessenger]

It's not a "range extended EV" (there is no such thing) but simply a series hybrid with a large battery.

[Viper]

After the first 40 Miles (meaning most small comutes dont require any gas).. a small gen kicks in and keeps the battery charged at 50% and with 5 gallons it can go another 400 miles.

Those longer range all battery powered .. discharge their batteries all the way down and thus have a max life of 5 years and take longer to charge! A 5 year life on 20K of Batteries... duh... And 5 years is optimistic... And the ones that give even longer mileage and are all battery.. have 30K worth of batteries you will replace in 3-5 years.

The CAD and the Volt are the right way to go, unless you want a trip across trhe US to take 2 weeks with all the time spent getting charged and a weekend trip to take a week...

Regards

[mugwamp]

Looking at those horrid things GM and Ford are introducing, it's no wonder they're going out of business.

The look of "we really have a horrible line-up of cars" on the stiff suit in the Cadillac Converj electric says it all.

[Viper]

GM out sales toyota. Ford outsales Masada and Nissan combined... More Mustangs sold 2 to 1 over prius.

Mazda and Nissan already had to be bailed out before this economic crisis. Toyota sales down more than GM.

Regards

[KillTheMessenger]

So far GM makes a loss on ever car it sells, while Toyota makes money on theirs. And in the world of business that is the only difference that counts.

Cheers

[netzwerg]

Ive been to the motorshow yesterday.

I figured out, that the new BMW Z4 will NOT be build in the US anymore, but instead in Germany.

[trollsbwild]

True. They are shifting all X's to be made in Spartensburg. SC. The Z-4 is moving to Germany.

It is what it is. Anyway, the Z-4 does look smoking. I have a 2007 Z-4 3.0si and if the improvement from the new one is equivalent as mine was to the Z-3, then the performance was be better than the Boxter. Not bad for an average 24MPG, 29MPG highway.

[macohmz]

Nope. Only an anti-gravity car will do.

[lunchbag]

Key problem for electric cars is usage.
Sure, going back and forth to wrok is one use, but throw in dropping kids off at the baseball diamond, then going shopping. Plus dropping off 1 or 2 baseball friends of your child, and you begin to eat into the charge,

Or waiting in line while traffic creeps at 10 mph, on hot day, then running errands.
Or, you need to carry your family and luggage up for a 3 hr drive to grandmas. 4 persons and all their luggage will eat up that charge. Or tow a trailer full of junk or stuff to reno your house.

As well most falilies will need a big enough vehicle to take of all their errands. A small car ain't gonna cut it

[jaundicedview]

This is might be because most families in the US are just too fat to fit in a small car. When I was a kid, My dad took the kids (four of them) to school in a Fiat 500. When little brother came along he moved up to a VW Beetle.

Maybe the kids would be better off if they rode their bikes to baseball instead of being chauffeured everywhere. Better yet, instead of all this organized activity crap, let kids start their own pickup games in the neighborhood. But I digress.

[Horus45]

That's how it was when I was a kid, my bike was my ONLY transportation for everything.

[Viper]

"Aging is a concern with most lithium-ion batteries and many manufacturers remain silent about this issue. Some capacity deterioration is noticeable after one year, whether the battery is in use or not. The battery frequently fails after two or three years. It should be noted that other chemistries also have age-related degenerative effects. This is especially true for nickel-metal-hydride if exposed to high ambient temperatures. At the same time, lithium-ion packs are known to have served for five years in some applications.

Manufacturers are constantly improving lithium-ion. New and enhanced chemical combinations are introduced every six months or so. With such rapid progress, it is difficult to assess how well the revised battery will age.

Storage in a cool place slows the aging process of lithium-ion (and other chemistries). Manufacturers recommend storage temperatures of 15°C (59°F). In addition, the battery should be partially charged during storage. The manufacturer recommends a 40% charge."

Regards

[KillTheMessenger]

Temperature is not the issue. The deterioration of these batteries is based on aging of their electrode materials. Newer battery technologies have greatly extended lifetimes. But Lithium batteries have no chance of fully replacing gasoline or diesel fueled vehicles. The only (hypothetical) battery technology which can do that is the elusive aluminum battery.

Cheers

[DrDemon]

All these beautiful cars are all concept cars. The big 3 need to get their act together by bringing these "concept" cars to fruition; then maybe they wont have to go begging for $ from Washington.

That's the problem with them, they are "Late & Delayed!" All they come out with are these tired looking, cheap pieces of $hit thus far!

They need to wake up at some point and bring a new vision of future auto's...and not just these "concept" $hits!

[Horus45]

They have ALWAYS been late to the party, now is just like the gas shortages of the 1970's. Back then they didn't come out with small fuel efficient cars until the shortage was over.

[DrDemon]

EXACTLY ! Like I said, they are,"Late & Delayed!"

The 3B's products, generally speaking, are tired!

Sad looks, cheap interior plastics, inferior quality, and short life before they have to visit the service dept.!

Give me the quality, feel looks & style of the Euro's ANYDAY, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!

[Nick Aziz - Huffpost Blogger]

Wrong. 5 out of 11 of the cars shown in the slideshow are productions cars. 3 of them are direct previews of soon-to-be-produced models, and 3 of them are true 'concepts' that may or may not see production.

[senorlou]

Few of these cars are affordable for most of us. Honda's got a good hybrid for $20K. How much will all these fancy cars be? Except for the Soul and Mini, and maybe the Flex, the rest of them will be bucks. Perfect timing!

[Nick Aziz - Huffpost Blogger]

The Mercedes Concept Blue Zero is a preview of the next B-Class, which will not be very expensive.

[senorlou]

Yes, it's a great concept, but where does one find a hydrogen filling station in say...Los Angeles? How will Mercedes make this car able to run here in the US? Here in LA, there are gas stations on every corner. If one buys a car like the CBZ, how would they get fuel for it here, or anywhere in the USA? Are there filling stations anywhere that sell hydrogen?

[dandypuddin]

Funny, the only one I think is cute is the Kia.

[senorlou]

Same here.

[TheOuroborus]

LOL! The two pictures that showed what Detroit was offering were just lame Scion rip-offs. The rest were cool of course. There's not one creative mind left at Ford or GM is there? And we gave these people money? GDI!

[Viper]

Thats such Bull... most of the exciting cars are coming from Detroit. Most Japan car bodies are designed in U.S. facilities in California...

The Cadilac looked lion a SCION? Ford Flex yes... but then a scion is just a box on wheels.. a rip off of 1960s station wagons.

Regards

[Arthur954]

Thats right, there are so many good car designers in the US -- but the Japanese and European companieas have made good use of this talent , while the US car companies have not.
The Detroit 3 have brillant concept cars, but then when the concept is put into a production model, the result is often very dumbed - down.
The Detroit 3 have good ideas but lack elegance and refinement when it comes to production models

[Cheesemelt]

A product in search of a demand?

Given the limited lifespan of the powertrain and the high costs of replacement, at this time in history electric cars are likely more gimmick than anything else. With the speculators about to disappear from the oil markets, oil prices will now return to the correct supply and demand model, and no longer reflect the alternate reality imposed by the speculators.

But will electric cars appeal to the masses brought up on internal combustion engines?

Maybe in a few generations time that will be the case, but this nascent technology is not going to rescue Detroit. Sure the "greenies" will wet themselves and feel good about their commitment to the environment, but these vehicles, even with their abundant torque and novelty factor are not going to capture the market. Especially when one considers that the number one selling vehicle in the USA is a Ford F-150 pickup truck.

The internal combustion engine will not go down without a huge fight, and Detroit has neither the stones nor the capital to make that happen.

NASCAR with no sound other than the whoosh of air? Fuhgetaboutit!

[MOhunter]

"Given the limited lifespan of the powertrain and the high costs of replacement, at this time in history electric cars are likely more gimmick than anything else."

Limited lifespan? It's a shame you're so misinformed. The Circuit's pack is made of A123 cells, rated to last for thousands of discharge cycles. There's a graph here: http://www.a123systems.com/technology/life which suggests that the pack would reach 80% capacity after 7500 cycles. That is, at around a million miles the batteries will have degraded to a range of 120-160 miles per charge.

As for the rest of the drivetrain, the situation is vastly better than an internal combustion engine. A typical AC motor has one moving part, and a lifespan that could probably keep up with that million-mile pack. Tesla Motors says that the only maintenance on the Roadster for the first 100k miles is tires and brakes. And the brakes don't wear nearly as fast because most of your braking is done by the motor, which puts the energy back into the batteries as an added bonus. GM EV-1 owners corroborate this whole story; EVs are nearly maintenance-free.

Electric vehicles in the near future will last much longer than ICE vehicles, will have vastly lower maintenance, and will cost much less to operate. In fact this has been one of the major sticking points for big auto; not only will they sell fewer cars, but dealers need repair revenue to survive.

[Cheesemelt]

You'll forgive me if I snicker at the battery manufacturers specs. GM has called for a battery duty cycle of 15 years, but with temperature variability wreaking havoc on battery life, that goal is far from achieved. Not to mention the cost issue, which you've skirted.

Unless or until production reaches the critical mass production phase, the costs of these systems are going to be extraordinary. And my argument is that there's not enough demand to make that leap from technology exercise to critical mass product.

Also, there's this:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9760174-7.html

Nobody, including me, fails to see the merits of an EV, but that doesn't mean it will translate into sales, does it?

[Viper]

5 years of usage is thousands of charges potentially...

Regards

[norkas]

cheesemelt did you receive your infomation from Iran oil ministry?

[Viper]

Even if he did there is much truth in it...

In August twice as many Mustangs were sold in the U.S. as Prius around the entire world.
'

Regards

[Mikeeee]

You mean the "infernal" combustion engine don't you?

[Horus45]

Electric Hydrogen Fuel Cells are not hampered by the same problems as batteries.
The only problem is that this country does not have a Hydrogen Fuel infrastructure.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells can be used a limitless number of times.

[Nick Aziz - Huffpost Blogger]

Actually, fuel cells cannot be used a limitless number of times. Where did you get this information? There are serious concerns about their lifespan. Fuel cells and the hydrogen fuel itself are also extremely expensive, even in terms of projected cost with large scale production. On the other hand, there are a number of battery and capacitor technologies that could revolutionize energy storage within a couple years.

[KillTheMessenger]

So far nobody has been able to make a hydrogen fuel cell that could compete even with mediocre battery technologies in terms of reliability and lifetime.

[LDnearthesea]

Cheesemelt? do you like smog and noise, like the vroom,vroom, vroom or a Corvette?
electric cars are our future, as are solar evergy, wind poer, tide and current power, and the oil,gas, and coal industries can go to hell and go broke for all I care!