Chicago Auto Show flashes green
Dune Lorenz
Issue date: 2/22/10 Section: Entertainment
"She don't believe in shooting stars, but she believe in shoes and cars."
Kanye West may not have been at the Chicago Auto Show, but there were plenty of flashing lights-particularly green.
Whether it was the hot paint colors making rainbows out of cars or the camera flashes bouncing off the car wax, the Chicago Auto Show was definitely flashy.
While the amount of shiny, expensive cars and the crowds around them were not surprising, the many eco-friendly cars and technology were. Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Toyota, Kia and Volvo all made some nice progress towards "healthier" cars while keeping good looks.
Mitsubishi showed its i MiEV model, which is one of the few examples of eco-friendly cars going on sale this year. A fully electric, four-passenger car, the i MiEV can be charged anywhere. The car takes a little longer to charge at home though, taking 14 hours to charge using a 100V outlet and seven hours with 200V.
Quick-chargers are in development by power companies and, if produced, would charge the i MiEV 80 percent in 30 minutes. The i MiEV is a zero-emissions vehicle aside from the energy used to charge it, maintains strong acceleration, and runs quietly. Pre-orders made in Japan last year will hit showroom floors this April.
Hyundai showed its Blue-Will plug-in hybrid concept that will be used in models such as the Sonata as early as 2010 and will allow for full-on electric charge and use, as well as normal combustion engine use for longer drives.
Toyota showed similar support with its FT-CH four-passenger concept car. As a smaller, sportier and cheaper alternative to the Prius hybrid, the FT-CH stands for "Future Toyota Compact Hybrid" This car aims towards younger audiences with the cheaper price expectation than the Prius and created with city traveling in mind.
Kia joined the party and showed its Ray four-passenger plug-in hybrid concept. Some unique features were it utilizes coated glass to keep the interior cool and has photovoltaic cells on the roof to help power the climate control system. The Ray also utilizes Infinity's GreenEdge audio system, which uses less electricity.
Volvo followed suit with their electric version of their C30 four-passenger model will go approximately 93 miles on an eight-hour charge. The C30 is designed so the consumer does not lose much when going electric.
Volvo hopes to make some test-models this year and aims to put something similar on the show floor by 2013.
With as much "green concepts" flashed at the Chicago Auto Show this year, we might all need sunglasses.
Kanye West may not have been at the Chicago Auto Show, but there were plenty of flashing lights-particularly green.
Whether it was the hot paint colors making rainbows out of cars or the camera flashes bouncing off the car wax, the Chicago Auto Show was definitely flashy.
While the amount of shiny, expensive cars and the crowds around them were not surprising, the many eco-friendly cars and technology were. Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Toyota, Kia and Volvo all made some nice progress towards "healthier" cars while keeping good looks.
Mitsubishi showed its i MiEV model, which is one of the few examples of eco-friendly cars going on sale this year. A fully electric, four-passenger car, the i MiEV can be charged anywhere. The car takes a little longer to charge at home though, taking 14 hours to charge using a 100V outlet and seven hours with 200V.
Quick-chargers are in development by power companies and, if produced, would charge the i MiEV 80 percent in 30 minutes. The i MiEV is a zero-emissions vehicle aside from the energy used to charge it, maintains strong acceleration, and runs quietly. Pre-orders made in Japan last year will hit showroom floors this April.
Hyundai showed its Blue-Will plug-in hybrid concept that will be used in models such as the Sonata as early as 2010 and will allow for full-on electric charge and use, as well as normal combustion engine use for longer drives.
Toyota showed similar support with its FT-CH four-passenger concept car. As a smaller, sportier and cheaper alternative to the Prius hybrid, the FT-CH stands for "Future Toyota Compact Hybrid" This car aims towards younger audiences with the cheaper price expectation than the Prius and created with city traveling in mind.
Kia joined the party and showed its Ray four-passenger plug-in hybrid concept. Some unique features were it utilizes coated glass to keep the interior cool and has photovoltaic cells on the roof to help power the climate control system. The Ray also utilizes Infinity's GreenEdge audio system, which uses less electricity.
Volvo followed suit with their electric version of their C30 four-passenger model will go approximately 93 miles on an eight-hour charge. The C30 is designed so the consumer does not lose much when going electric.
Volvo hopes to make some test-models this year and aims to put something similar on the show floor by 2013.
With as much "green concepts" flashed at the Chicago Auto Show this year, we might all need sunglasses.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Car Audio Stereo
posted 2/23/10 @ 4:54 AM CST
I think Volvo in green might be the greatest color in cars, all the best for your green concept. Thanks!
Green Car Chick
posted 2/28/10 @ 11:27 PM CST
Thank you for posting all the images in the paper about the cars. I loved the green cars! Are there other images elsewhere?
Post a Comment