2010 LA AUTO SHOW - Electric Concepts Generate Plenty of Buzz

Washington November 18, 2010; The AIADA newsletter reports that according to the Detroit News the L.A. Auto Show which bills itself as the green stop on the circuit, continues that theme this year with at least six electric vehicles vying for attention. But environmentally friendly cars are not overpowering the show as they have in the past.

Honda Motor Co. President Takanobu Ito unveiled the Fit EV concept, a precursor to the production Fit EV to be introduced in the United States and Japan in 2012. Honda plans to introduce a pure electric car as well as a plug-in hybrid in 2012. The new plug-in hybrid platform is the next generation of Honda's two-motor hybrid technology.

Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled a prototype of the electric RAV4 – due in 2012 – which uses battery technology and components from electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc.

Kia Motors Corp. unveiled its first hybrid for the United States with a version of the new 2011 Optima midsize sedan designed to get 40 mpg.

Auto Show Buzz and Over-hype aside, forecasts on how quickly the electric vehicle market will grow are all over the map.

EV Evangilest Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn expects EV's to account for 10 percent of global sales by 2020. He said government incentives will be necessary to subsidize electric cars for two years before they can compete and flourish on their own.

J.D. Power and Associates expects electric vehicles and hybrids combined will only account for about 7 percent of the market in that timeframe, up from 2.2 percent of the market or 954,500 units today.

To read more about the offerings at this year’s L.A. Auto Show, click here.