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100 years of New Automobile releases and counting. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/in-the-news/t-2007-north-american-international-auto-show-preview-3202.html#post18671)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/NAIAS_-_Detroit_MI_-_100_years.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG.com (www.cleanmpg.com) - Jan. 5, 2006

This is a preview of vehicles and presentations that Tom (Tbaleno), Rich (Pravus Prime) and I expect to see at the NAIAS Press Preview event - otherwise known as the Detroit Auto Show. This year, the NAIAS is celebrating its 100 year anniversary. With over 17,000 Automobile Journalists registered representing at least 23 countries, we hope to present details on both current and upcoming new automobiles that most would find of interest. Namely high FE, low emissions capable and main stream segment replacements that the rest of the automotive public will probably never hear about. Here is a short sampling of the vehicle’s as well as the highlights we will be asking questions about.








http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_BMW_530i.jpgBMW - Besides their recently released 7-series H2 powered Ultra-Luxury Sedan, we hope to find out more about both BMW’s DualMode Hybrid and Clean Diesel plans for 2008 and beyond.









http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Chevrolet_Malibu_LT.jpgChevrolet - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe DualMode Hybrid SUV should be just about complete and hopefully the details will finally come to the forefront. I will be prodding the reps for information on the upcoming Malibu and Malibu Hybrid w/ BAS as they have been improved to the point they can possibly compete with the as always popular Accord/Camry contingent.











http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Ford_Escape.jpgFord - The imminent launch of the 2008 FEH using a second gen drivetrain and the newer Delphi NiMH’s if that is in fact what they have in store is near top of our list. We will also be pressing for information on the upcoming Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan, the 09 + B-Class sized Sub-compact Ford is currently developing. Possibly based off the European Ka or Fiesta platforms and of course the refreshed 08 Ford Focus.












http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2010_Honda_FCX.jpgHonda - The newly designed FCX with its advanced Fuel Cel and Li-Ion based propulsion system allowing performance and range rivaling many std. automobiles on the road today will be a highlight. Besides seeing the 07 HCH-II, we will be pressing for more information on the 09 Hybrid project possibly based off the Asian sourced B-Class sized compact Aria sedan. And how could I forget to post any information available about the ubiquitous and upcoming 8th gen 2008 Honda Accord w/ either its A-VTEC advances from the std. ICE or an imminent release of the 2.2 iCDTi diesel in either the next gen Accord or this gen Civic for the North American marketplace.






http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_MB_E320_Blutec.jpgMercedes Benz - With the release of the Tier II/Bin 8 capable Blutec 320 CDI earlier this year, we will also be looking into in MB’s plans for the DualMode hybrid drivetrain in one of their offerings as well as future plans on the Tier II/Bin5 capable diesels promised by the 2008 MY.











http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Nissan_Altima_Hybrid.jpgNissan - Close ups and details of the upcoming Nissan Altima Hybrid will bring the show into focus as this is the second mainstream mid-sized sedan w/ sales promise released into the North American automobile marketplace.











http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Toyota_Auris-Corolla.jpgToyota - Although this is only a wish at this point, I am hopeful to hear more about the next gen - 2009 Toyota Prius III and to hear of Toyota’s release dates and details for the upcoming 2008 Toyota Corolla Hatch.

Along with the automobiles and details mentioned above, there are a number of presentations we will attend. These include the major manufacturer releases but in particular, a presentation by Johnson Controls on its advanced NiMH and Li-Ion batteries currently being tested in future Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid automobiles in a number of US, European, and Asian manufacturer’s future automobiles today.

If you have any questions of a particular make or model you would like asked, feel free to pass on your request(s) and we will do what we can to get you an answer. I have two members requesting information about a possible 4-cylinder HiHy release which makes complete sense from my perspective.

The Malibu looks really pretty. Hopefully the car is light enough to benefit from BAS.

Just FYI, there's going to be over 50 vehicle unveils, some of which are listed here:

http://www.naias.com/SubPage.aspx?id=506

Oh.. I forgot to add: Even if Honda never releases the FCV, the body they designed for it is simply a wonderous work of art. I hope that the FCV's body gets used for some future Accord. It's got shark-like beauty -- efficient, yet somehow aggressive, and certainly powerful-looking.

Hi AshenGrey:

___You may have heard me say this in other threads but I believe we may be looking at the 08/09 Honda Accord in some form or fashion. I am probably wrong but the FCX is fully functional and I don’t see why Honda would have spent all those $’s on a one off. Honda just doesn’t waste money like this …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Nope saw the new coupe. Doesn't look like the FCX. There are some similarities though. Accord coupe does look more like a concept car than a production car. It will be interesting to see what people think of the new look. I believe wayne took picutures. I think honda has pictures of the new body online as well.

Hi All:

___The FCX is definitely not the next gen Accord :(

___Woahhh, what a week so far. We have over 700 pics to contend with and enough notes for at least 20 pages of posts before we can say the Detroit Auto show is but a distant memory.

___The show started out a bit slow and I was somewhat disappointed but just after lunch on Day 1, the reps really started opening up. Tom has been finding details that Rich and I would have never caught and Rich can take notes almost as fast as I can talk which is coming in extremely handy!

___Just a quick update for each of the manufacturers we have been in contact with so far …

GM: Ahhh, the “Chevy Volt”. With its introduction by Bob Lutz of “I built the Viper and new Camaro” mindset as well “GM cannot meet the new Café standards w/out harm” fame, I have doubts. Within 2 minutes of his Volt presentation, he had made two derogatory comments about both “The Inconvenient Truth” and “Who killed the Electric Car”. It was a poor choice of words at best coming from someone of his stature in the automotive industry. Those statements cast a pall over the “Volt’s” true purpose and concept release in my eyes but the rest of the Journalists seem to take the Volt’s presentation as gospel. We have confirmed from a number of sources including two of the individuals from the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car” (another interesting story in itself ;)) that GM is extremely serious about the Volt’s concept(s) and what it means to the future of the US Automotive industry. Whether Lutz is truly engaged given his poorly chosen introductory remarks remains to be seen …

___07 Saturn VUE GL w/ BAS. Forget about it. The 08’s w/ Dual Mode are not due for well over a year but they so outclass the BAS system as well as the 07’s body and interior there is really no reason to consider it. There are 2 configurations of the 08 VUE Hybrid with DualMode and both have some very spectacular Hybrid specific specs from what we have discovered. Poor engine choices will be the norm but some interesting specs none-the less.

___08 Tahoe/Yukon. Although DualMode has the capability for some truly excellent FE and driving mode capabilities, the overall picture is being blurred with even larger and more thirsty engines then are currently in use. Again, GM is chasing down the performance Hybrid’s and appears not to have case studied the AH, HiHy, and RXh wrt to their actual sales vs. projected. Expect a ton of performance for the 2.5 + ton behemoths but the real FE savings have been placed on the backburner w/ a maximum FE increase of 25% w/ DualMode and Displacement on Demand vs. even more FE with similar sized engines as they are currently equipped.

___SAAB Biopower Hybrid. We have reported on this little beauty for well over a year now and seeing it in person was an absolute Joy. Guess what? This car had FWD DualMode system installed for well over a year! Great information about its capabilities but unfortunately, SAAB was not given the go ahead to build it :(

___08 Saturn Aura w/ BAS. Same old BAS, different day. Probably not worth the price of admission but at least the Aura looks decent enough which should improve traffic at your local Saturn dealerships. I did not see what the Auto Writers saw when voting it in as the “Car of the Year” but it does look better then the Ion as just one of Saturn’s previous poor sales performers …

Toyota: Trucks, Trucks, and more Trucks. Toyota’s launch of the 07 Tundra in all its forms seemed to be their 07/08 tune. It appears as if they have relegated the hybrid to second class status so as to go head to head in the truck market with the likes of Ford and GM. I suppose you should place your bets where the money is to be made but a 5.7 L truck with a 16/20 EPA in its basic form seems to be a step backward although I am sure they will maintain their hybrid leadership well into the future. The President of Toyota USA did say in the “All Tundra - All Truck” presentation they will be producing 250,000 hybrids this coming year. Expect to see the excellent availability of the Prius II’s to continue as Toyota will release at least 150,000 for US consumption. The TCH’s should also see higher output so that deals can be had in the not to distant future on those vehicles as well.

Ford/Lincoln/ Mercury: I am really worried about their future …The Concepts shown are way out there and will never see the light of day other then possibly the Lincoln MKR …

___I love the new 08 Focus for its utilitarianism but it is only an modest update at best and that car does not sell in enough volume to pick Ford up out of the money losing situation they are in even if it could compete with the outdated Corolla, current 8th gen Civic and new Sentra.

___08 FEH only received a minor cosmetic makeover. We have not heard if they are using the new Delphi NiMH pack or not but as far as the rest, this is almost a simple body makeover with just a touch of programming changes to the ICE/eCVT interaction and little else.

___Lincoln is running a DI V8 w/ huge HP and supposedly V6 like FE in the MKR which could be produced but at a price most would not be able to afford imho. A lot more later …

DCX: A lot of interesting development with regards to hybrids over the years but it will be a while before we see MB DualModes on the streets. The Dodge Durango is supposed to include a DualMode option for 08 but we have very little info on it at this point in time.

___Dodge/Chrysler’s focus appears to be on the Minivan even today. With the ever increasing popularity of the CUV, I personally think the Minivan’s days are numbered and with no real technological improvements in drive train technology, we spent an absolute minimum of time in the Dodge/Chrysler area.

___08 MB 320 CDI with Blutec. Interesting but the Blutec as it is currently marketed means nothing. The 320 CDI is MB’s standard 3.0L diesel without any sort of after treatment and just touches Tier II/Bin8 giving it the ability to be sold until 08. At that point, it is put up or shut up with regards to Tier II/Bin5 emissions. The technology is there but there is no guarantee of anything right now. More later.

BMW: Their mission is truly the driving experience and nothing else so they are being very cautious with regards to their DualMode drivetrain and what they will be doing with it if anything in the 3 – 5 year out time frame. A somewhat interesting mix of components supporting DualMode with more discussion later. BMW has spent the $’s for DualMode but it appears it may not be used in their lineup as we see it today. They are, however releasing a very interesting 335 (gasoline only) into the Euromarket that will have all of us abuzz as it has all the capabilities of IMA for what appears to be a very low cost Micro/Mild hybrid solution. The Hydrogen 7 Series. It is a Bi-Fuel solution (Gas and/or H2) in its current configuration with a number of neat features but we do not see this as a main stream car for the foreseeable future. We have pages and pages of info on their plans as well as fuels and fuel quality across the continents which we will have sorted by late this weekend if possible.

Honda: Unfortunately very little could be gleaned from them with regards to the upcoming Accord, the iCDTi in Honda’s plans or the upcoming A-VTEC gasoline engine. The Accord Coupe presentation offered me little with regards to the next Accord’s makeup or capabilities. Strange to see basically a body only concept this late in the production cycle (I looked underneath and it was wood and steel framing holding everything together) as the 08 Accord Coupe and Sedan are scheduled for launch in Oct. of this year? Nothing really new from the Acura side of the fence either as they have no idea if the 2.2 or 3.0 iCDTi diesels will be a mainstay in any Acura vehicle from 2009 forward?

___08 FCX was there in all its glory but the press packet offered little more then we have already seen. An imminent 2018 release to the American consumer is nothing more then a yawn although to see the car in person was the highlight of the Honda/Acura displays.

___I have some beefs wrt Honda/Acura’s presentations and information availability while at a Press events. Having spent Millions of $’s to attend and present automobiles at Auto shows around the country, you can find out and see more at your local Honda/Acura dealership then can be seen or discovered at the Detroit and/or past Chicago Auto shows we have attended. I found a young Japanese gentleman opening the FCX up later in the evening yesterday and took the opportunity to see if I could take some interior photos. The answer was “I am sorry but you cannot …”. It just seems to me that Honda/Acura Auto show presentations are little more then PR vs. allowing us to see or learn anything of value?

SMART: We have quite a few interesting details with regards to the SMART ForTwo as its early 08 launch arrives here in the US. I personally believe it is a very interesting car with a very limited market potential given its 2-seat only platform and its extremely small exterior size. Even so, we have some very good detail on the 08’s specs that some may find interesting? Or not depending on your interests!

Johnson Controls: Until this show, I did not realize they had their hands into the automobile industry so deeply. As an example, the current Saturn Outlook’s interior consists of JCI sourced interior components from the seats and rails to interior panels and instrument cluster. A long list of electronic and physical HW that I was amazed they were involved in. Our main purpose was to see the HEV batteries which will be discussed and presented later on today in detail. Some interesting Li-Ion retrofits have been completed with regards to Escape HEV although the average consumer will never get his or hands on one of these brilliantly designed packs. I guess the main item of note is the GM DualMode trials which even JCI does not know the outcome. I can tell you they know of their Li-Ion pack designs lack of leading performance attributes wrt the a123 System’s performance characteristics but believe they have a superior long term chemistry makeup and design. It will be an interesting race to see who actually supplies the Li-Ion HEV/PHEV market in years to come.

A123Systems: although we missed speaking with this company’s representative at the Show, we have scheduled a phone interview with them this afternoon and hopefully some interesting tidbits can be pulled from it.

___There is a lot more detail yet to come in individual manufacturer’s write-ups but the basic highlights as Tom, Rich and I have experienced so far are listed above.

___Good Luck and I cannot wait to get home.

___Wayne