Green Cars and Trucks on Display at the 2009 NAIAS

2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan

Opening day of the 2009 North American International Auto Show and it was just like last year, right? Not even close -- 2008 was a year that auto manufactures are all too happy to have behind them, and they're approaching 2009 with extreme caution (some backed out of the show, including Ferrari, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls-Royce and Suzuki).

Automakers who kept the date moved forward on a much tighter budget, and focused on a couple of things:

• raising awareness of the improvements and accomplishments they have made
  
• fuel economy -- everyone is talking about improved fuel economy

Displays included more alternative fuel vehicles than ever: gas/electric hybrids, plug-in electrics, clean diesel systems, hydrogen fuel cells, propane gas, E85 compatibles and direct injection turbos. The question is, what can be mass-produced at a price people are willing and able to pay and, that an infrastructure can be set up for quickly and easily.