GM bringing back the electric car?

Apparently Detroit is going more green.

For years the world famous trade show has been the place for manufacturers to debut the ever larger and more powerful cars beloved of the American consumer. But with fuel prices continuing to climb a sea change is underway in consumer habits and judging by this year's show car firms are poised to address their changing needs with a raft of cleaner engines and more fuel efficient vehicles.

Spurred into action by the runaway success of the hybrid gas-electric powered Toyota Prius, General Motors (GM) this week unveiled its own hybrid concept car, the Chevrolet Volt.

GM vice chairman Robert Lutz said that the Volt would overcome the range and power limitations that have dogged the EV1 - the company's previous attempt at developing an electric car and the subject of the highly critical documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? - by using a new E-flex system that will combine a battery and fuel powered engine in a regular chassis.

VoltThe battery, which can be charged over six hours using a 110 volt outlet, will provide a range of 40 city miles, according to GM. When the battery runs down, a one litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine kicks in to create electricity and replenish the battery. "If you lived within 30 miles from work (60 miles round trip) and charged your vehicle every night when you came home or during the day at work, you would get 150 miles per gallon," said Lutz. "More than half of all Americans live within 20 miles of where they work (40 miles round trip). In that case, you might never burn a drop of gas during the life of the car."

The hybrid engine can also be adapted so that it runs using bio-fuel, diesel or even a Hydrogen-based fuel cell, instead of petrol, GM said.

The adaptability of the engine is good because then they could sell it anywhere in the world. Is it too late for them?

BMW has a new car:

Closer to production though is BMW's fuel cell-powered Hydrogen 7, which is also on show in Detroit and is expected to be made available through a few select dealerships this April.

The new flex-fuel powered Seven Series features both a fuel cell, which will only emit water vapour and enable a driving range of 300 miles, and a petrol tank that can be used when the hydrogen fuel cell runs out. According to BMW it will also boast a 260 horsepower, 12 cylinder engine capable of doing 0-60 in 9.5 seconds - ensuring it compares favourably with other executive cars on the market.

and Toyota is trying to maintain the lead:

Meanwhile, Toyota committed to extending its leadership position in the burgeoning hybrid market, announcing plans for a hybrid powered pickup truck and debuting the new FT-HS concept car - a gasoline-electric hybrid powered sports car featuring a V6, 3.5 litre engine and lightweight chassis.

The raft of green announcements came as Toyota underlined the scale of the market for green vehicles, predicting sales of its hybrid vehicles will increase by 50 percent in the US this year to around 300,000 units.