U.S. Automakers lead green charge in Detroit

Not long ago, press conference presentations at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit were punctuated with potent expressive words like "muscular," "high-performance," "aggressive," and "powerful." That's changed. Today, an automotive news conference or new product introduction at any of the major auto shows around the world is more likely to extol qualities that include sustainability, fuel efficiency, low emissions, fuel economy, environmental friendliness, and of course green credentials.

Nowhere is this shift more dramatic than in Detroit -- the Motor City -- birthplace of the musclecar and a place where horsepower is king. Domestic automakers are leading the green charge with a frenetic need for environmental credibility to satisfy both consumer desires and analysts alike. Ford kicked things off in the first auto manufacturer press conference of the show. It was just 46 seconds into Bill Ford's opening presentation when the words emerged outlining this company's emphasis on a plan for "sustainability."

Interestingly, while the greening of the auto industry is evident around the globe, America's big three are in many ways setting the standard. The revitalization of the domestic auto industry will come from the pursuit of greener transportation solutions and technical advances. Looming CAFE standards have underscored the need for change and the industry is responding. Here are the highlights from NAIAS.

CHRYSLER ECOVOYAGER

Trevor Creed, senior vice president of design for Chrysler, unveiled three very different electric drive concept themes. According to Creed, "these concept vehicles provide excellent evidence that, in Chrysler's future, there are many different shades of green." The Chrysler ecoVoyager is a sleek, luxurious one-box shape hydrogen fuel cell car. It can travel up to 40 miles on the lithium-ion battery alone and has an extended range of 300 miles with the fuel cell.

DODGE ZEO

ZEO stands for "Zero Emissions Operation." This all-electric concept is part sports car and part utility vehicle, a design Dodge calls a 2+2 sport wagon. Energy is stored in a 64 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that offers a claimed range of 250 miles. Those big 23 inch wheels give the car a performance look. ZEO delivers on that image with a 200 kilowatt (268 horsepower) electric motor that can propel the car from 0-60 mph in less than six seconds. Its most dramatic styling cues are the wild "scissor" doors that hinge up out of the way.

FERRARI BIOFUEL

A green Ferrari? Ferrari displayed an F430 spider with the words "Bio Fuel" on the hood and doors at the NAIAS. Apparently, even ultra sports car buyers are interested in clean alternative fuel sources. Running E85 ethanol, which has a higher octane rating than pump gas, the Bio Fuel F430 offers 10 more horsepower and 4 percent more torque than the gasoline version with a 5 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.

FISKER KARMA

Are you ready for a green American premium car? Fisker Automotive thinks so. The Southern California company debuted its Karma plug-in hybrid, a model that's projected to sell for $80,000 when deliveries begin in late 2009. Quantum Technologies developed Karma's Q-Drive plug-in hybrid technology. Fisker says that after overnight charging, Karma will have a battery electric range of 50 miles on the lithium-ion battery pack. The car features an impressive 0-60 mph time of 5.8 seconds with an estimated top speed of 125 mph. Solar roof panels aid recharging and help cooling when parked.

FORD VERVE

Capitalizing on Ford's European small car expertise, the Verve concept is said to be the basis for a new small car Ford is planning for the North American market in 2010. The four door Verve concept descended from the ceiling of the Cobo Arena veiled by smoke, colored lights, and strobes. Ford also showed a European three door Verve concept but didn't publicize powertrain prospects other than to say the Verve will have fuel efficient 4-cylinder engine which we assume will feature they EcoBoost direct injection technology.

FORD EXPLORER AMERICA

Ford's rethinking of the SUV is evident in the super smooth Explorer America concept that's said to highlight the company's sustainability strategy. In place of a larger V-6 or V-8 engine, the Explorer American is powered by a downsized 2-liter four cylinder with EcoBoost direct injection and a turbocharger to produce 275 horsepower and 280 lbs-ft of torque. Other fuel saving measures include electric power-assisted steering, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and deceleration fuel shutoff.

HONDA PILOT

The 2009 Honda Pilot SUV will have a three-cylinder engine, which is also a four-cylinder engine, and a six-cylinder engine. It's not math gone wild ... just Honda's fuel saving variable cylinder technology incorporated in a functional eight passenger SUV. This latest generation VCM offers three modes where the previous system offered just two. Honda also announced two new small hybrid models due in the next two years and the company's first North American market diesel, which is due next year in the Acura line.

HUMMER HX

General Motors announced a partnership with Coskata, Inc, to develop a breakthrough ethanol production process that's claimed to produce fuel from bio sources other than corn for less than $1.00 per gallon. To emphasize the potential for E85, GM unveiled a small earth friendly Hummer dubbed the HX concept. The HX is powered by a 3.6-liter E85 FlexFuel V-6 and feature removable components that make it easily adaptable for a wide variety of missions. By 2010, GM promises every Hummer model will be available with FlexFuel.

JEEP RENEGADE

The third vehicle in Chrysler's trio of electric drive concepts is the rugged little Jeep Renegade. It can travel up to 40 miles on its lithium-ion battery pack alone. When greater range is needed, a 1.5-liter three-cylinder BLUETEC clean diesel engine kicks in to increase range to over 400 miles. The combination can provide an amazing equivalent gasoline fuel economy of 110 miles to the gallon. That's impressive for a sporty roadster that can also accelerate to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, cover the quarter mile in 13.6 seconds, and offer a top speed of 90 mph. Naturally, with the Jeep name the Renegade is four wheel drive, which it achieves with dual 200 kW electric motors.

LAND ROVER LRX

A smaller and lighter Land Rover, the LRX Hybrid concept is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that can run on biodiesel. A high voltage, high capacity lithium-ion battery pack stores energy to power the concept's integrated Electric Rear Axle Drive, or ERAD. LRX was built using lightweight, more sustainable materials that don't compromise the overall robustness Land Rovers expect.

SAAB 9-4X BIOPOWER

Scandinavian design values and respect for the environment are key elements in the Saab 9-4X BioPower concept. Targeted at the growing crossover market, the 9-4X BioPower draws inspiration from the wildly popular Saab Aero X concept that debuted last year. A small but mighty 2.0-liter BioPower turbocharged four cylinder engine is optimized for E85 and produces 300 horsepower and 295 lbs-ft of torque.

SATURN VUE 2 MODE HYBRID

GM's first front wheel drive application of the two-mode hybrid system will go into production late in 2008 as the 2009 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid. Saturn is estimating a 50 percent fuel economy increase over the non-hybrid V-6 Vue, a range of 500 miles, and a 3,500 pound towing capacity. A plug-in variant of the Vue Green Line was also shown. After five hours of charging from a standard outlet, the plug-in will offer at least 10 miles of all-electric range. The plug-in's system will utilize a lithium-ion battery.

SATURN FLEXTREME

If this concept looks familiar it's because Saturn's Flextreme Concept was a design collaboration between Saturn and GM's German brand that showed the Opel Flextreme concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year. This is another variant of the E-Flex architecture incorporating rechargeable electric drive. Like the Opel rendition, the Saturn generates electricity by running a small 1.3-liter clean turbodiesel engine.

TOYOTA A-BAT

Before the unveiling of the A-BAT concept truck, Toyota Motor Corporation President Katsuaki Watanabe promised to put the full force of Toyota's resources behind the company's sustainability mission. The A-BAT hybrid concept is smaller than the current Tacoma compact pickup, yet offers seating for four and flexible cargo handling thanks to a folding mid-gate. A-BAT, which stands for Advanced-Breakthrough Aerodynamic Truck, is powered by Toyota's most advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive technology.