Arguably the most important automotive show based in the U.S., the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) has been a strong contributor the Detroit economy, a show that will benefit in the coming years as its venue, the Cobo Center is updated and expanded.
Making The Move To Mondays
Oddly, the press days for the show have been held on Sundays and Mondays, which means that reporters must get their news out when most people simply aren’t listening. Many Americans attend church services on Sunday followed by NFL playoff tilts in the afternoon and evening. That sort of competition for the hearts and minds of consumers has resulted in the NAIAS moving the press days to begin on a Monday instead.
To be sure, the first of the two press days is by far the most important with some 25-30 manufacturers getting their news out there on that day. The second press day has a handful of lesser announcements with most of that day dedicated to allowing journalists to follow up on what they first reported the day before.
The Top Event For The USA & Canada
“The NAIAS is the premiere auto showcase for the US market,” said Dr. Kunibert Schmidt of the German Associations of Automotive Industry (VDA – Verband der Automobilindustrie). “The show’s recent decision to refine the press conference schedule is the perfect example of finding efficiencies in our industry as well as strengthening the professionalism the NAIAS exhibits to the world.”
“There is no better voice than that of the customer,” said NAIAS Executive Director, Rod Alberts. “The volume of media we serve internationally and the exhibitors who rely on them make this show one of the world’s top draws. We continue to listen to our audiences and by responding to their needs, NAIAS maintains its standing as one of the top international auto shows in the world.”
Industry Days & Charity Preview
The 2010 press days will be January 11-12 followed by industry preview on January 13-14. As usual, the charity preview will follow and is scheduled for January 15th. The public show will run from January 16-24th.
The 2010 event will mark the 22nd year that the show has been recognized by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles, the Paris-based alliance of automotive trade associations and manufacturers from around the world. Prior to 1989 the event was known as the Detroit Auto Show.
Source: North American International Auto Show
See Also — For Sixth Straight Year, NAIAS Sees Decline
Michigan Assembly Plant
The Ford Motor Company is in the midst of a seismic shift in the way that they do business. In 2008, as gas prices surged toward $4/gallon and beyond, the automaker announced its new commitment to bring as many as six European models to the North American market by the end of 2012.
Converting Trucks Plants To Compact Car Plants
To bring about that effort, Ford has been retooling plants in the US and Mexico, most recently transforming its Michigan Assembly Plant from one that once made pickup trucks to a plant supporting small car architecture.
Ford’s investment in the Wayne, MI plant will total $550 million and preserve as many as 3200 jobs. State and local tax grants and incentives are also paving the way for the transformation of the plant which once built beefy Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition sport/utility vehicles to an assembly line tasked with building the next generation Ford Focus. The Focus model will also include an all-electric model, a car powered only by a lithium-ion battery pack.
Three Truck Plants Being Converted
Ford says that three of its North American assembly plants that once produced trucks will now build its small cars (Cuautitlan Assembly in Mexico and Louisville Assembly in Kentucky are the other two).
The automaker is banking on consumer demand for these types of vehicles despite fuel prices currently hovering around the $2/gallon mark. Most analysts believe that gas prices will eventually rise, perhaps topping $4/gallon by the time the new Focus is ready.
The Ford Focus Battery Electric Vehicle
Ford had promised to roll out a pure electric vehicle for the passenger market after first announcing that its Transit Connect all purpose vehicle would introduce the technology beginning in 2010. The Focus BEV (battery electric vehicle) is designed to be plugged into any 110-volt home outlet, with many customers likely to work with their power companies to get a 220-volt connection via their garage. In addition, numerous cities and private businesses are working on establishing a grid system in their areas to support recharging away from home.
Besides the Transit Connect and the Focus BEV, Ford’s next generation hybrid vehicle is to arrive in 2012 and be joined by a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). Ford believes that its gamble to transform itself from a builder of primarily large trucks and sport/utility vehicles to a maker of compact, efficient cars will pay off, part of its own effort to remake its image in the domestic market to match pretty much what it sells on a global level, particularly from mid-size vehicles on down in size.
Source: Ford Motor Company
See Also — First Drive: Ford Escape PHEV
Tags: Canada, Ford BEV, Ford Escape PHEV, Ford Focus, Ford Focus Electric, Ford Motor Company, Ford Transit Connect, lithium-ion, Mexico, Michigan, North America, PHEV, plug-in hybrid, US, Wayne
Auto News | Matt Keegan, 6 May 09 | 
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It has been said that “in every life a little rain must fall,” suggesting to some that rain is a bad thing. Then again when you see how rain replenishes the earth and sates the soul, it certainly can also be a very good thing.
Battered Michigan Receives Some Good News
A similar thing can be said about the auto industry, particularly as it relates to the state of Michigan. That state is the heart of the auto industry for America’s three major brands — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler — and has borne decades of layoffs, plant closures and an ongoing recession.
But, the rain falling for Michigan isn’t completely bad as evidenced by the announcement last week that lithium-ion battery supplier Johnson Controls-Saft will convert an existing plant in Holland, MI to supply batteries for the Ford Motor Company’s expanding hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle fleet.
Second Lithium-Ion Plant
The Michigan plant will be the first American facility by Johnson Controls-Saft dedicated to lithium-ion technology, following on the heels of plant opened in France in 2008 to build batteries for the Mercedes S-Class hybrid. The Michigan facility in expected to directly create 500 new jobs in that state in additional to many more through suppliers.
Johnson Controls-Saft is also supply batteries for the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid available in 2010, Azure Dynamic’s Balance™ Hybrid Electric for commercial vehicles available in 2010, and Ford’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle available in 2012.
The company will be investing $220 million to convert the Michigan plant and will receive tax credits from the state for locating production there. The plant is expected to have an initial capacity of 15 million lithium-ion cells when the plant comes online in late 2010.
For Michigan, the Johnson Controls-Saft plant is one of first steps it is taking to transform itself from the automotive capital of the world into the advanced-battery capital of the world.
Related Reading — 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: 700 Mile City Range, Class Leading Fuel Economy
