Oh What A Motor Show!At Geneva its a Case of the Two E's:Efficiency and Emissions.

In Geneva,Switzerland,the largest Motor Show of its kind in Europe will be officially open to visitors tomorrow.One headline is that car manufacturers are tussling with the challenges of a decline in demand from the mature markets(e.g.North America,Spain ,Italy)but are experiencing burgeoning demand from the emerging markets like Russia,India and China.VW's chief is expecting a 25% growth this year from its China business alone.
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Anyway let's return to the stars of the Show. And the big stories are likely to be lithium-ion battery charged.It is said that Toyota will officially announce that it is going into mass production with its lithium-ion batteries for low-emission cars.Mercedes are also charging-up a 'C' class with same technology.Weighing-in,too, will be General Motors which is developing its hybrid Chevrolet Volt. And,among the quirky,comes the sporty Rinspeed sQuba,also powered by lithium-ion batteries,which has the capability of underwater swimming.

There will be much more as the Show goes on,including a tasty-looking all-new five-door Ford Fiesta (shown above).But we need to look at its green credentials.There will be production model launched in the Autumn based on the lines of the Verve concept.There will be a sub-100g/km CO2 emission model, the ECOnetic version - some further details are posted at the Green Car Guide website.

Back soon.