NAIAS concepts

The focus was on environmentally responsible cars and alternative powertrain technologies and fuels at January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The driving forces of record-high fuel prices and looming increases in U.S. CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) regulations, as well as tightening CO₂ restriction in Europe, have concentrated the minds of industry executives and engineers. Fuel efficiency, energy independence, and reduced emissions were key themes of the concept cars at NAIAS 2008 this past month in Detroit. Most of the concepts reviewed on the next few pages have an eco element, from the use of hybrid- or fuel-cell-electric powertrain technology to alternative fuels and earth-friendly materials.

In the show's biggest news related to expanding ethanol's role as a motor fuel, General Motors announced a partnership with Coskata, an Illinois-based ethanol research company, to develop a process to produce the alcohol fuel from a variety of renewables sources, including biomass, garbage, and old tires.