HEVs, EVs, PHEVs On Display At The 2009 NAIAS

The 2009 NAIAS comes to a close this weekend, but the show's impact will be long-lasting. Fully one-third of the new vehicle introductions at the 2009 NAIAS were HEVs, EVs or PHEVs. Included in this number are a handful of very exciting concepts that are in various states of development right now. In addition to its hybrids and all-electric vehicles, GM has committed to increasing the number of E85 compatible vehicles in its production lineup.

If fuel economy is Job #1 at the automakers, style is a close second. This year's shows featured some of the most exciting new styling for HEVs, EVs and PHEVs. These vehicles, many of which are scheduled to hit the streets in 2010, 2011 and 2012, bring a new excitement about style, interior comfort, speed and endurance along for the ride.

Among the new HEV and EV designs you'll find everything from premium sports cars to work vehicles to family sedans and mini-vans. The technology that makes these cars move is as interesting as the cars themselves, and promise to deliver a whole new driving experience in the coming model years.

Even as legislators struggle with fuel economy, noise and emissions regulations, the vehicle designers are turning these mandates into automotive reality for an interested driving public. Worldwide, automakers are responding to the call to reduce dependence on foreign oil. As a result, we're watching the first major revolution in automotive engineering in one hundred years.

No one is certain how long hybrids will occupy a place in the evolution of the automobile, but hybrids and other alternative propulsion systems offer the best opportunity to reduce oil consumption, noise pollution and harmful greenhouse gas emissions in the near future. In the next few years, the technological advances that will drive this evolution will be introduced to the buying public at the major auto shows. If you have the opportunity to see one of the major shows, take it!