PETROLHEADS will be shocked by the sacrilegious centrepiece of this year’s British International Motor Show.
It’s a green “village” crowded with dinky electric cars, electric bicycles and even a Lotus Eco Elise partly made out of hemp.
Km/h and bhp are out. Km/l and grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre are the statistics every manufacturer is shouting. On pedestals where gull-winged V8s once revolved, hydrogen and hybrid machines now stand, with dashboard components made of cork. The manufacturer boasts that it is the only wood that can be harvested without killing the tree.
Faced with rising fuel prices, a growing consciousness of carbon tyreprints and lower revenues (car sales fell by 6.1% last month compared with June 2007), does this motor show mark the end of our passion for the petrol engine?
“The new technology is exciting people as much as the supercars this time, and that’s really good to see,” said Nikki Rooke, of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The green concept cars look impressive, but mass production is a distant goal. Cadillac’s Provoq is still “15 to 20 years away”, according to General Motors. Even Mercedes’ electric Smart will not be in production until 2010.
In the electric village, most of the vehicles are still cottage industries compared with the major marques. Away from the electric village, the real motor show is still alive and revving.
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