The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) returned to Detroit in September after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it could fairly be described as weird. I usually attend to see not just the latest automobile designs but the newest technology. This year, the show was smaller than ever, had fewer automakers participating and had almost no displays on the inner workings of the vehicles.
How did the public react? One measure would be attendance, which in pre-pandemic years often exceeded 800,000 people. Unfortunately, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA), which runs the show, has announced it will not be releasing attendance figures this year. A DADA spokesperson, Frank Buscemi, didn’t explain the reason behind this decision. My guess is that the number would be embarrassingly small.
I went to the NAIAS on a Thursday, hoping to avoid a large crowd, and in that respect, I had no need to worry. In past years, parking at the venue would fill up early in the morning, and later in the day, one would expect to have to park in a remote lot and walk, usually several city blocks, to reach the show. This time, I drove right up to the venue (Huntington Place, formerly Cobo Hall) and drove straight into the rooftop parking lot, which wasn’t even half full at noon. Once inside the show, the patrons were sparse, as were the exhibits. In many cases, there were more employees working the exhibit than potential customers visiting it. On the plus side, I’ve never had so much personal attention at the auto show before!
What little new technology was on display was primarily at two exhibitor booths, both displaying personal aircraft, or “flying cars.” In past years, these types of exhibits were relegated to the lower level of the convention center but were able to secure prime space due to the lack of international automakers attending this year. There is one personal aircraft that runs on 91 octane automotive fuel (or aviation fuel, if the user prefers), but the real innovation, in this case, is that it also is amphibious, so in addition to being a car and airplane, it also is a boat!
Another type of aircraft, on the other hand, is a dedicated aircraft, but doesn’t require a runway. It is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and also is fully electric. The manufacturer claims a range of 100 miles (160 km), and also claims to recharge in under one hour. While still a long way from commercial aviation, an electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft is a testament to the achievements of the transportation tribologist. Although the company’s website is sparse on details on this type of aircraft (the first deliveries are expected sometime in 2024), the motors must be very efficient to offer a reasonable range, based on current battery technology.
Ed Becker is a Fellow and Past President of STLE. He is currently president of Friction & Wear Solutions, LLC and can be reached through his website at www.frictionandwearsolutions.com.