Detroit Auto Pre-Show: Sunday

This is clearly the big time. I have been to auto shows before but never where they build the sets. The energy in this room (large enough for several football fields) is powerful. There are thousands of people really busy building their show. It ranges from a German director choreographing a dance troop rehearsing for the unveiling of a new Mini concept to an executive practicing his speech on loudspeakers. There are cameras and carpenters and cranes and forklifts. There are acres upon acres of carpet to roll out and new stuff to place. There are 100 Asian guys speaking in a foreign tongue placing 20 different mini cars for postal and police applications, showing their wares next to a car manufacturer building a tent so they can build their display in secret. It is all very cool.

The show is spectacular. It is hard to compete in this context for attention but we are looking forward to it. We are not trying to “spin” our way to the spotlight, but just let our car speak for itself – Oliver

Detroit Auto Show: Monday

Yesterday was a day for press, politicians and industry execs. We are on Electric Avenue – a bit of irony, since we rejected electricity and batteries as power sources – with 20 electric vehicles, including 4 of our X Prize competitors. Oliver says the other X Prize cars are our camouflage, as we lurk in their midst with our E85 powered Very Light Car.

We had a great day, with lots of visitors. There are some amazing people here. What fascinated us was who actually spent time seeing the Very Light Car and “got” it – why what we are doing is so different and so important. Not the media, generally, who were distracted by the flash and glamour that is the Detroit Auto Show, but industry insiders: executives, designers, board members, research and development types, from companies such as Michelin, VW, Honda, Toyota and ConocoPhillips, just to name a few.

A very good day for Edison2 – Brad