Detroit Auto Show Will Emphasize Electric Vehicle Technology

DETROIT- The auto industry's commitment to alternative fuel vehicles will be put tothe test in the next two weeks, as more than a half-million visitors come topeer at the new technologies at the NorthAmerican International Auto Show (NAIAS).

One key for the giant exhibition, traditionally a showplacefor production vehicles, is the addition of a 37,000-sq-ft display area called Electric Avenue.The new area will serve as an expo for 12 manufacturers of electric vehicles,ranging from traditional automakers, such as Nissan and Mitsubishi, toentrepreneurial firms, such as SSI Racingand Saba Motors. Electric Avenue willbe sponsored by Dow Chemical Co., which is involved in the development ofelectric vehicle battery technology.

"It's an excellent venue for the public to see some of thevehicles that you don't normally hear about," noted Bill Perkins, president ofDetroit Auto Dealers Assn. (DADA).

Electric Avenue will be complemented this year by a displayarea known as EcoXperience, which will provide visitors with a look at thebattery and electric motor technology that's making its way into the autoindustry. True to its name, the giant EcoXperience display will providevisitors with an outdoor-type encounter, complete with 200 transplanted pinetrees, 600 evergreens, 5,000 tulips and daffodils and 650,000 pounds of stonepaving. The stone paving will serve as a roadway for visitors, who will be ableto test drive electric vehicles on it.

"The area is totally landscaped," Perkins said. "It's likeyou're in a flower garden, taking a ride in your electric car."

The show will include product demonstrations from 60exhibitors in all. All the industry's biggest automakers, including Toyota, General Motors andFord, will be represented.  

The Detroit-based exhibition, considered the granddaddy ofauto shows, will be open to approximately 6,000 journalists this week. OnSaturday, Jan. 16, a day after an annual black tie charity event, it will openits doors to the general public. More than 600,000 visitors are expected toattend.