Green Theme at Detroit Auto Show

The Ford Explorer America powered by EcoBoost at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Sunday.

Photo: Carlos Osorio / AP Photo

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It may not have met the demands of a green wish list, but the North American Auto Show in Detroit has proved one point: Fuel efficiency and alternative fuel technology have gone mainstream.

Every automaker is trying to outdo the buzz of its competitors, less with re-designs of the exteriors or additional added technology in the driver's seat, and more with the technology that runs the vehicle itself.

Hybrid gas-electric engines, plug-in technology, alternative fuels made from wood chips as well as corn are all getting attention. These are technologies for the future, that will keep Americans driving even as fuel costs rise and global warming demands that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the newest and most promising technologies have yet to be perfected, or to show up on car lots.

But the attention to the green sector shows that it isn't a sector. It's the mainstream.

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