Automakers Jockey for Position in Electric Vehicle Market

摘要

Battery-powered electric cars gained momentum at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) held in Detroit in January, even as experts wondered whether consumers are ready for the new technology.rnA bevy of manufacturers - including Nissan, Ford, Tesla Motors, BYE) Auto, CT&T and others - showed off new electric vehicles (EVs) at the show, with some slated for introduction as early as this year. Show officials cordoned off 37,000 sq ft of floor space for the electrics, and even set up a quarter-mile track inside Cobo Center, complete with real pine trees and daffodils where show attendees could test drive the cars amidst a virtual forest. EV battery makers also made appearances, displaying products with lithium-ion, lithium polymer and lithium iron-sulfate chemistries.