2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)
LouAnn Hammond, the CEO, www.DrivingtheNation.com, talks to John Batchelor, host of the John Batchelor radio show, about the Detroit Auto Show. Begrudgingly, Batchelor goes through the trophies that Cadillac won at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Cadillac won two major design awards, one for a Caddy that’s basically a Chevy Volt with a Cadillac exterior, the other trophy went to the Cadillac ATS for North American Car of the year.
Hammond points out that all the luxury brands are acting green, BMW has a hybrid that will be made out of carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is produced with hydropower. We are seeing more luxury cars come out that are being touted as sustainable. The Cadillac ELR concept is a 2 + 2, small and compact, but it’s the prettiest of Cadillacs.
Then there is new technology at the Detroit auto show; Hyundai has technology that allows the driver to look at a point on the Heads-up display screen. The driver’s eyes search from icon to icon and when the app is found, a hand gesture automatically activates what’s looked at.
Batchelor’s favorite of the night was the Tesla X. with Falcon-wing doors. The Model X is designed from the ground up to blend the best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan while being an electric vehicle. Tesla offers the electric vehicle with three different battery offerings: 40 kWh, 60, kWh and 85 kWh “ roughly corresponds to 160, 230 and 300 miles of range (steady-state 55mph). George Blankenship told Hammond, “Our goal is to be profitable by the end of 2013.
We’ve sold the first 10,000. Have 23 dealerships in the US and will have 33 worldwide.” Hammond remembers reading in the SEC filings that Daimler has the first right of refusal, although a Chinese co. is nosing around Daimler for some ownership. How did Tesla not win the North American Car of the year “ did they fix the jurors?? Apparently not.
Model X is offered with optional Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive and increases torque by 50%. The Model X all-wheel-drive Performance package accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, outperforming the fastest SUVs and many sports cars.
