Detroit Auto Show 2011 Exhibits New Collections Of Energy-Efficient Cars

Inhabitat:

2011 seems to be the year of the electric car! From super-sexy electric race cars (from Porsche), to a retina-searing electric yellow sports cars (from Mercedes), to practical electric commuter cars (like the Ford Focus EV and Ford C-MAX Hybrid), nearly every major car manufacturer at the Detroit Auto Show this year unveiled a new electric car or a new hybrid.

For those of you who couldn't make it to the show, happily I shot a video of my favorite new electric cars at the Detroit Auto Show.

Read the whole story: Inhabitat

Comments

[Edward Standley]

09:12 PM on 01/16/2011

Other than the most glaringly obvious reason, I wonder why the Big Three don't build motorcycles and scooters. Americans are buying loads of them and they're all European, Japanese, and increasingly, Chinese and S. Korean (under 1200 cc of course). As fuel prices soar, and they will, these sales will only increase. The automakers have everything they need to start, including idle plants and a ready workforce. Wouldn't take much for them to get online. If someone is looking for a car, they'll possibly buy an American car. If they're going to buy a motorcycle or scooter, they don't have much choice but to go for an import.

[Mikeeee]

02:41 AM on 01/15/2011

Funny how there was a viable electric car that was destroyed about 10 yrs ago. Kind of makes you wonder where we'd be today with electric automobile technology if it had been pursued with vigor and enthusiasm instead of killed.
Funny that.

[jhendrix]

10:32 AM on 01/15/2011

I vaguely remember this electric car from the late seventies, early eighties. If was wedge shaped. One of the pizza delivery companies had a couple.

[Edward Standley]

09:18 PM on 01/16/2011

Yeah, the Chevy EV1 in the mid-'90's. G.M. cleverly only leased them, you couldn't buy them. They were tested on the leasing public, and they were very successful. When the leases were up, G.M. took 'em back and crushed every last one of 'em. Hmmm, wonder why? ;)

[red clavier]

01:18 AM on 01/15/2011

a) Average working people do not want these expensive electric cars and they are money losers

b) Where does electricity generation come from that powers them?

[Kenz300]

01:50 PM on 01/14/2011

Electric, hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles are the future.

If those that believe PEAK OIL theory are correct, rising demand from China
and India will soon outpace the worlds supply of oil raising the price for all.

We saw what $147/barrel oil did to the economy in 2008. People were tripping over
each other looking for high mileage vehicles at the foreign car dealers. They were also
parking their trucks and SUV's as filling them up became prohibitively expensive. It gets
expensive doing those hour long commutes to work from the suburbs.

The auto makers learned that they need fuel efficient vehicles to sell as prices rise.

Ford and Hyundai are growing market share because they found the formula for success.

Quality, Value, and Fuel Efficiency sell.

[Edward Standley]

06:45 PM on 01/14/2011

Yep. I'm a big fan of Ford. Their Eco Boost engines are great. Hyundai is a real fast up-and-comer. They are going to be the ones pushing all other auto makers to improve.