Pulse

Green machines

By John Ross

blog I e-mail

More manufacturers are making greener cars, more consumers are taking them home, and what began several years ago as an eco-friendly niche market has turned into widespread demand shaping the auto industry.

The trend will be on display March 8-16 at the 2008 Columbus International Auto Show, when numerous hybrid and alternative-fuel cars and trucks are parked inside the Columbus Convention Center.

"A few years ago, when we saw the [Toyota] Prius and the [Honda] Insight, they seemed so small," said Dan Zinni, the auto show's director. "Now you've got everything involved in this. You can get almost every type of vehicle in a hybrid model."

Starting Saturday, 90 dealerships in Central Ohio will exhibit more than 400 cars at the show, a shining lot that will include many examples of automotive technology aimed at reducing a dependence on oil.

Occurring midway through an international circuit showcasing the best and brightest automobiles, the Columbus show doesn't normally receive the concept cars or futuristic production models shipped to top-tier shows in Detroit, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

It's largely a dealer's show where consumers compile information on current production models, Zinni explained. The increase in hybrid and similar technology coming to town is one indication that average consumers are becoming more aware of their ride's impact on the environment.

Hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe and Honda Civic will be shown, as will flex-fuel vehicles like the GMC Yukon, which run on a gasoline-ethanol blend known as E-85.

"The manufacturers hear the public, and they're making the adjustments necessary," Zinni added. "It's impressive. There are so many different avenues for alternative fuels."

One example of the increased consumer demand for such technology is the Prius, the four-door sedan introduced by Toyota to the United States in 2000. Last year, the manufacturer sold 181,221 — up from around 5,562 seven years ago.

"That's a huge jump," Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said. "The public really embraced it because it wasn't a change of lifestyle."

Clean Fuels Ohio, a group headquartered at the Ohio State University Center for Automotive Technology, will return again this year — to a public more aware of and eager for greener cars. This year, the nonprofit is showcasing six forward-thinking models, including the 2006 Honda Civic GX, which runs on compressed natural gas.

"There were many more puzzled expressions four years ago," executive director Sam Spofforth said. "When we started doing this, a large percentage of people thought you had to plug in a hybrid."

Spofforth said three factors are propelling the shift towards greener driving: increased awareness of environmental issues, more comfort with the technology and higher prices at the pump.

"This green consciousness is permeating the culture like we've never seen before," he added.

March 6, 2008

Copyright ? 2008 Columbus Alive, Inc. All rights reserved.