The sales manager at Victor George Chevrolet said the announcement last weekend that automotive journalists have selected the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck as the show's Truck of the Year has spiked interest in the vehicle.
"This is exactly the kind of thing we need and why car dealerships get so excited about the annual auto show. It gets people thinking about new vehicles, whether or not they go to the show," Keely said. "The announcement was good news for General Motors."
The Saturn Aura earned the honor by automotive writers as the show's Car of the Year, the second time in the contest's 14-year history that one automaker took both awards. Last year Honda's Civic and Ridgeline won.
"We had some customers in Saturday looking at the Silverado," Keely said. "It's an awesome truck because it's really all new, with an entirely new interior and changes to the body as well. It's an exciting time during and after the Detroit auto show."
Keely is also excited about the new mid-size Malibu sedan that Chevrolet reworked for the new model year. The vehicle was unveiled Tuesday at the auto show. It features more power, a stylish body and two-tone interior.
"It's really a sharp car, and we have high hopes for it too. We think the auto show will bring people in to see us about this new car. It really turns heads."
Vic George, owner of the dealership, plans to take his son to the auto show today during Industry Day—a day set aside for people affiliated with auto industry.
"I try to get down to that show every year," George said. "Not only is it great to see all the new Chevrolet and GM vehicles, but also to see what the competitors have out. It definitely helps business to have the auto show going on. We always see a bump in traffic and sales following the show."
Mark Vigneron, new vehicle sales manager at Imlay City Ford, also expects to see increased interest and sales following the auto show.
"The new crossover vehicle the Edge is expected to be a big hit. So is the new 2008 Focus," he said.
Looking to maintain its lead in truck sales, Ford showed off its new F-250 and F-450 Super Duty pickups at Sunday's auto show preview.
"It has been pretty tough in sales lately, but we think the auto show will bring in people looking to see the new vehicles and see what all the excitement is about," Vigneron added.
Chris Olson, sales manager at Roberts Buick Pontiac in Lapeer, is equally optimistic the auto show will drive people into his showroom.
"I think some people hold out until after the auto show, because if they go down there they can see all the cars under one roof," Olson said. "The auto show is great for the entire region. If people haven't ever attended one they should. It's just amazing to see all the vehicles, the glitz, and the excitement around the show."
Electric cars stir buzz
The electric car isn't dead after all, and that will become apparent at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Both General Motors Corp. and the Ford Motor Co. will unveil new plug-in hybrid vehicles at the NAIAS that use electric motors, rather than gasoline-fueled internal combustion engines, as the principal source of power.
Both the new Chevrolet Volt and new Ford Airstream are being unveiled today at the show.
The vehicles promise to help pump some new life into southeast Michigan's hard-pressed economy as automakers move ahead locally with research and development on electric vehicles.
GM's next step beyond
Robert Lutz, GM vice chairman for product development, describes the E-Flex system as the next step beyond the hybrid vehicles carmakers are putting on the road today, using batteries for an energy boost or limited movement, and fuelcell vehicles of tomorrow. GM, which was mercilessly skewered for killing the EV1 in the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?," indicated it was altering its position on battery-powered vehicles and now plans for one of the industry's first plug-in hybrids developed by a conventional car manufacturer.
The E-Flex system GM is unveiling uses electric rather than mechanical energy to move the vehicle. The electric motors used in the GM system draw energy stored in lithium- ion batteries that can be recharged from an ordinary 110-volt wall socket.
The range of the Volt after recharging is roughly 40 miles, slightly less than the 60-90-mile-range EV1 electric vehicle GM introduced in the early 1990s. However, the Volt's electric motors are backed up by a small, three-cylinder internal combustion engine that can extend the vehicle's range to 640 miles for longer trips, according to Jon Lauckner, GM vice president for global program management.
Richard Wagoner, GM chairman and president, said during a meeting with reporters last week that GM had no choice but to invest in alternative powertrains.
Lutz said GM is so confident in the concept, it has already initiated engineering development on the vehicle while battery makers wrestle with GM's specifications.
"We're making the bet that batteries will be ready when the vehicle is ready," he said.
"We're going to do this fast," Lauckner added, but said, "It's too early to be talking about cost."
However, the E-Flex system can be scaled up or scaled down, depending on the size of the vehicle, and it uses common drivetrain components from other GM vehicles. The system will be able to create its own electricity through an on-board generator in addition to having the plug-in capacity, Lauckner said.
Fun and efficient
The system also can run on ethanol or biodiesel fuel, eliminating the need for petroleum completely, he added. GM estimates that 98 percent of the vehicles now on the road require petroleum products.
Lauckner said the E-Flex system sets the stage for use of a more diverse range of energy resources, ranging from full-electric vehicles, drawing energy from a power grid, to short-range electric vehicles that use internal combustion engines and even fuel cells that create electricity from hydrogen.
Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the project, said the Volt meets the demands of GM customers worldwide for greater fuel efficiency in a vehicle with distinctive design that's fun to own and to drive.
"It's also an excellent vehicle for use in urban areas," Lutz said. "The key thing for many people is the ability to accomplish their daily driving task without the (internal combustion) engine going on."
Nick Zielenski, the chief engineer for the project, said the Volt basically started with GM's European-designed compact car architecture and uses an electric motor capable of producing 120 kilowatts at peak power. The goal was to produce a vehicle that was as responsive and performed just like a car powered with internal combustion, he added.
Lutz also said GM was drawn to the idea of producing a car that ran on batteries because of the advance in lithium ion batteries, which are now used to power cell phones, power tools and laptop computers.
Ford's battery power
The Ford Airstream also can be plugged into the grid. It's equipped with a hybrid fuel cell drivetrain, which operates on electric power at all times.
The system, developed by scientists and engineers at Ford's Research & Innovation Center with partial funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, is half the weight and cost of today's fuel cells and will operate in the dead of winter. In fact, the plug-in hydrogen fuel cell featured in the Ford Airstream Concept is already on the road in a Ford Edge prototype, Ford officials said.
The new fuel cell, supplied by Ford partner Ballard, operates in a steady state and is significantly smaller, weighs less and is more durable than a fuel cell that might be used to power the vehicle.
With the Ford system, the fuel cell delivers the power needed to recharge the lithium-ion batteries, instead of serving as the primary power source to drive the wheels.
Freeman Thomas, director of the Ford's advanced design studio, also said the new powertrain offers new opportunities for designers to break away from the traditional interior layout that has prevailed in automobiles for more than a century.
GM's Lutz noted the longevity and power density of lithium-ion batteries have improved dramatically in recent years, and now the time has come to see if the technology is capable of supporting a motor vehicle. GM thinks it is, Lutz said.
"We need fewer but larger cells," he said. "That's the part that's got to be handled. But the reason we're confident is the huge progress that's made in the last 10 years. We don't think it's insurmountable."
If you go
The 2007 North American International Auto Show will be open to the public Saturday through Jan. 21 at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit, with the charity preview set for 6-9 p.m. Friday. Show hours are 9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 21. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 7-12 and seniors 65 or older, with children 6 and younger admitted free. Learn more at www.naias.com.
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