Organizers of the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit were left scrambling recently to fill exhibition space in Cobo Hall. A number of auto manufacturers including Porsche, Nissan, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Land Rover, and Ferrari have decided to skip the show. This meant that the usual two floor spread of exhibition space could not be condensed down to the upper level. So what to do with the 70,000 square foot basement?
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. came up with the idea of creating a test track where consumers could drive the newest ‘green’ vehicles. But rather than set up a few orange cones and hang some vinyl banners, the team wanted to create a more interesting driving experience for show visitors. So they set out to transform the basement into a forest.
It literally looks like you’re in a beautiful forest. It’s huge. Trees, waterfalls, brick pavers. This course winds its way through it. It’s a way to showcase of what (automakers) currently have to offer and what the future holds, said the show’s senior co-chair, Joe Serra.
The list of available vehicles is being finalized, but the selection of six to 12 vehicles includes a hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicle and other hybrids.
Individual brands have staged test tracks at auto shows before. Jeep is probably the most well know for creating their off-road simulation tracks. But the Detroit test track will be the first open to a variety of manufacturers.
We’ve turned what potentially could have been a negative … into a positive, Serra said.
[via The Detroit News]
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
Reddit
StumbleUpon
The high cost of fuel this past year did serious damage to our economy and society. After a brief reprieve gas prices are inching back up again. Our nation should not allow other nations to have such power over us and our economy . We have so much available to us in the way of technology and free sources of energy. WE seriously need to get on with becoming an energy independent nation. We are spending billions upon billions in bail out dollars. Why not spend some of those billions in getting alternative energy projects set up. We could create clean cheap energy, millions of badly needed new green jobs and lessen our dependence on foreign oil all in one fell swoop. I just read an eye opening book by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009. It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to drive and charge an electric car.If all gasoline cars, trucks, and SUV’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota. Why don’t we use some of the billions in bail out money to bail us out of our dependence on foreign oil? This past year the high cost of fuel so seriously damaged our economy and society that the ripple effects will be felt for years to come. http://www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
January 9th, 2009 at 7:44 pm