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Look for 'green machines' at Tampa Bay International Auto Show

Staff photo by JAY CONNER

Evan Longoria's custom Chevy Camaro will be on display at the Tampa car show.

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By JENNIFER HILL | News Channel 8

Published: October 23, 2009

TAMPA - Scott Settlemire stood amid the hundreds of cars at the Tampa Bay International Auto Show and wondered, for a moment, what it would be like if there was one vehicle that fit all our needs.

But only for a minute.

Surveying the muscle cars, coupes, sedans, trucks, vans, Settlemire, who was part of the General Motors design team that helped design the new Camaro, quickly deflated the one-size-fits all notion.

"That's not the way America works," he said.

While there may never be an Everycar, one common factor automakers are taking into account is efficiency, said Settlemire.

GM, for instance, is trying to figure out how they can best serve everybody's green driving needs, including hybrids and vehicles powered by ethanol, hydrogen, electricity and something called "active fuel management" – a V-8 engine that can switch to four cylinders while on the open highway but back to eight when you're towing or accelerating.

While a bulk of ethanol is produced using corn right now, Settlemire is looking toward a future where garbage is the main ingredient.

"Ethanol can be created from landfill and household waste, it's not just corn," he said.

Most of us know hybrids, and one we saw at the show, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, actually goes green when you're driving efficiently. The dashboard display has a plant that seems to grow leaves when driving conservatively, but hit the gas too much and the leaves disappear.

While there is talk of electric- and hydrogen-powered cars, those are being tested for mass production right now in small areas across the country but there aren't too many at the auto show, which runs Oct. 23-25 at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin St.

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