Oct31
By ANDREA JAMES Post-Intelligencer
October 31, 2007
The following story was posted online at www.leasetrader.com.
There'll be an emerald halo over Qwest Field Event Center at this year's international auto show, as organizers promise it will be the "greenest" show yet. Among the 400 autos on display will be the largest selection of hybrids, electric and bio-diesel vehicles since the show began in 1973, organizers said.
One of the presenters, The Green Car Co., hopes to bust some popular misconceptions about eco-friendly driving. For example, the Toyota Prius isn't the greenest car one can drive, because it still relies on gasoline, says the Kirkland dealer's co-founder, Don Fahnestock.
Also, clean driving isn't only a rich man's luxury -- some midspeed electric cars cost between $12,000 and $15,000, he said.
"A lot of the stuff that we're doing is more geared around people finding out what their impact is on the environment," said Fahnestock, who says his own attitude toward alternative fuels has changed since he got into the business.
"When I first heard about this stuff, I thought it was some sort of hippie stuff going on," he said. "Really, there are people just like you and I that just care about the environment."
Among others, General Motors will be promoting its new alternative-fuel vehicle line with its "Chevy Fuels Solutions" exhibit.
Though hybrid cars have benefited from a lot of hype, their sales have been stagnant, says Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at the Power Information Network, a division of the market research firm J.D. Power & Associates. The exception is the Toyota Prius, which continues to sell well, he said.
Hybrid sales make up just 2 percent of the U.S. new-vehicle industry sales, he said. "They don't make sense economically for the customer," Libby said.
Diesel cars, which are more fuel-efficient than gasoline-powered, have already proved successful in Europe and are selling better in the U.S.
"We're much more bullish on diesels than we are on hybrids," Libby said.
Even so, the public is increasingly demanding fuel-efficiency, and car manufacturers have taken notice. They've scaled back production of big gas-guzzlers in favor of more small and medium-sized cars. An increasing percentage of vehicles have four-cylinder engines, rather than six or eight. "Every month the sales results show that the small cars are gaining," Libby said.
Though alternative-fuel displays are generating the latest buzz, this week's auto show promises to cater to everyone -- buyers and dreamers -- from the flashy driver choosing between an Aston Martin and a Dodge Viper to the family driver looking for the most practical crossover vehicle.
"Everybody needs transportation, and whatever their budget and whatever their lifestyle is, they're going to find it here," said Jim Hammond, the show's manager, who is also executive director of the Puget Sound Automobile Dealers Association.
This year's can't-miss sleek set of wheels is the Spyker C8 Laviolette -- an identical twin of the car that Sharon Stone drove through the streets of London in "Basic Instinct 2."
The $241,000 handmade car makes its U.S. debut in Seattle when the show opens Wednesday. It is one of only 25 and has already been sold to a local businessman by Park Place Ltd., a Bellevue dealer.
"Now that's a wild-looking car," publicist Mark Cutshall said.
Truck lovers will want to check out the Ford F-250 Super Chief, a concept pickup that runs on gas, hydrogen or ethanol, Cutshall said. "While the show has what I call some unbelievably gorgeous 'Wow' cars, the vast majority of the show is an array of production vehicles that consumers can come and see and compare and match to their driving needs and to their budget," Cutshall said.
For those with larger budgets, the most expensive car in the show will be the Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, which sells for $436,650. The less expensive Rolls-Royce Phantom also will be on display -- it sells for $363,950, he said.
About 85,000 people are expected to attend the show, most of them local and some from surrounding states and Alaska, Hammond said. Organizers estimate that the annual five-day show generates about $50 million for the economy in subsequent vehicle sales.
For the three days before the event, trucks began delivering 1.3 million pounds of displays that would turn the event center into a minicity.
"It's a major, major, major event," Hammond said. "It is the kicker to one of the state's most important industries."
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This story posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of your car lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com.
This story posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of your car lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com