Companies involved in the auto industry around the world are gearing up for the start of the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, scheduled to begin on November 21, 2008. While the majority of auto-related companies are prepping for the show, one company has decided to pull out – AFS Trinity Power Corporation. The company is responsible for the 150 miles per gallon plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sports utility vehicle prototype – the XH150.

“The suppression by the automakers of information about technologies such as this raises serious questions about the judgment, vision, intentions and capabilities of the leadership of these companies,” said Edward W. Furia, Chairman and CEO of AFS Trinity. “Such conduct by the automakers, who are currently seeking tens of billions of taxpayer dollars, ostensibly to develop fuel efficient vehicle technologies, is evidence they are reluctant to embrace solutions they didn’t invent.” (Source: PR Newswire)

The management of the LA Auto Show refused to allow AFS Trinity to make the 150mpg claim on the large signs and banners that would be displayed throughout the show. This same claim was made, without a problem, during the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year. Conjecture has it that this decision was made because the LA Auto Show is owned by the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association.

LA Auto Show Assistant General Manager, Scott Webb, made this statement about the fuel-efficiency claim “We cannot approve this content … the mileage claim is of primary concern to us. Manufacturers are forced to quote EPA verified mpg numbers in their advertising, and … [your] 150-MPG figure is an estimation. A banner like this one in the lobby is likely to generate unfavorable reactions from manufacturers, which is something we will take action to avoid.”

One problem, the Environmental Protection Agency does not provide fuel-efficiency certification on prototypes or cars built specifically for trade shows. In order to compromise, AFS Trinity was willing to modify the banner to claim that the 150mpg is merely an estimate but the LA Auto Show refused to budge stating that the figure could not appear anywhere.

To solve the problem, AFS Trinity simply pulled out. Kudos to the management with AFS Trinity, I think that they made a good decision. It is likely that the company’s decision to remove itself from the show will result in more (and better) publicity than if they had continued to participate in the show in the sub-optimal basement space that they were allotted.

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Filed Under: Auto Shows

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