First it was the British International Motor Show in London, then it was Hanover, and then Paris – and now yet another world famous motor show is adopting a green theme.
The Sydney International Motor Show, which kicked off on Thursday, is a showcase for electric, hybrid and diesel vehicles as the auto industry continues to keep one eye on the deepening global financial crisis.
The Chevrolet Volt is one of the vehicles to take centre stage. The car, which has earned waves of media attention even though it is not due to be released until 2010, can travel up to 64 kilometres purely on electric power before switching to its small petrol engine.
General Motors chairman and managing director Mark Reuss stated that the Volt’s appearance at Sydney is a reflection of its importance for the company. He described the car as “potentially the most exciting addition to GM’s range of alternative fuels on the horizon”.
Two cars from Toyota are also taking the spotlight, particularly as the manufacturer has already established itself as the leader in the green car race due to the overwhelming success of the Toyota Prius. Now the manufacturer is displaying the Hybrid X, described as the evolution of the Prius, and a left-hand drive version of its Camry Hybrid.
Amid the celebrations however, there were also warnings about the difficulties facing the industry with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) maintaining its full-year sales forecast as more than one million vehicles but stating that its results would be down on last year’s 1,049,982 total.
The Sydney International Motor Show runs from October 09-19 at Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
