2007 Los Angeles Auto Show goes Green

From BMW to Toyota, the buzz at this year's show is about finding alternative means of fueling our passion and need to drive cars. Even Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by to address the media at the Los Angeles Auto Show and highlight the alternative fuel vehicles being showcased.

Most of the vehicles were concepts and while they are nice to talk about, this web site only focuses on vehicles that are real and available to consumers today. So here's where we are today.

Toyota is still leading the way with the Prius, Camry, and Highlander hybrids, as well as the Lexus RX400h and GS450h. (The new LS600h will be announced in January at the Detroit or North American International Auto Show. Honda is not far behind with the Accord and Civic Hybrids, and Civic NGV (Natural Gas Vehicle). Nissan has the Altima Hybrid, Ford has the Escape, and GM has the Saturn Vue Hybrid and E85 Ethanol Tahoe. Mercedes-Benz has something called Bluetec Diesel for their E-Class sedan and ML-Class SUV, but it's hard for me to categorize diesel as a new alternative to gasoline, but there is a decrease in emissions and increase in fuel economy so we'll let them wear their green badge.

So far, none of these offer a long-term, viable solution to our dependence on foreign oil. The big talk is Hydrogen, but I'm not convinced. The encouraging thing about the automotive industry is that they keep secrets well-concealed and there may be a magic bullet in one of these product planning departments. It is clear that the race is on and as consumers, we will be the winners.

In the meantime, drive wisely and stay posted. Who knows... BMW's Hydrogen solution, GM's Ethanol or someone else's electic vehicle may just be the answer we have all been looking for.