New York International Auto Show: Fuel Cells, Electric Vehicles, & 50 Cent's Performance PontiacNew York International Auto Show: Fuel Cells, Electric Vehicles, & 50 Cent's Performance Pontiac

Amid tough times for carmakers, the New York International Auto Show, offers a vision of a future flush with alternative-energy vehicles, downsized but hot concept cars, and a possible rebound for the U.S. auto industry.

First, the bad news. New car sales in 2008 will be the lowest since 1994, according to a forecast from J.D. Power and Associates. On the face of it, the sheer sales numbers seem impressive. Some 14.95 million vehicles are expected to be sold this year, 12.3 million of which be retail sales to consumers (the rest are to rental fleets). However, retails sales in 2007 hit 12.8 million units, and J.D. Power originally forecast a combined total of 15.7 million for this year.

"The auto market is entering into a true recessionary phase, which is something we have not seen in the last 10 years," J.D. Power chief economist Bob Schnorbus told The New York Times.

Despite such dismal news, the New York Auto Show offered an upbeat showcase on numerous technology fronts. Of course, electric cars were on display. Honda's EV Plus is already in production, and GM is making noises about rolling out the Chevy Volt sometime after it's completed in 2010. Saturn showed off its Flextreme Plug-In concept vehicle. Running on an electric motor powered by Lithium-ion batteries, it's also equipped with a small turbo-diesel engine. However, that engine's only function is to recharge the batteries.

Subaru exhibited the R1e, a two-door electric that's little bigger than the outlet to which it connects for a recharge. Slightly -- but not much -- bigger is the MiEV, which is Mitsubishi's Innovative Electric Vehicle.

Did you know that there are also all-electric motocycles? Hybrid Technologies Inc. has one. Called the CHP Chopper, it's a one of a kind lithium-battery-powered bike, intended as a tribute to fallen officers of the California Highway Patrol. It does zero to 30 mph in 5.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 50 mph.

More forward looking than battery-powered electrics are the passel of fuel-cell-powered concept cars, which put in an appearance at the show. The designs rely on a chemical chamber, which takes in hydrogen and air, and outputs electricity (with water as a waste product). The resulting wattage is used to power an electric motor.

Before fuel-car cars can become widely commercialized, chains of hydrogen-filling stations would have to be built across the United States. However, the fact that such Jetsons-age convenience stores are already being discussed is an indication of just how far fuel-cell tech has progress lately.

For example, Honda showed off what it says is its fifth-generation fuel cell. That unit is embedded in a smooth-looking car -- the FCX Clarity -- which is impossible to tell about from a conventional gas eater. Not to be outdone, Toyota spotlighted its FCHV, or Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle, with the hybrid designation referring to the vehicle's electric motor/generator. GM has its own fuel-cell platform, in the form of the Chevy Sequel.

While the first production fuel-cell car isn't expected to be spotted on American roads before 2010, from the evidence at the show -- and rising gas prices -- these vehicles are definitely coming.

No auto show is complete without a display of celebrity power, and the New York bash is no exception. Rapper 50 Cent (real name, Curtis Jackson) put in an appearance at a pre-show press conference to talk about the upcoming Pontiac G8 Sport Truck, as well as how he helped GM primp up -- that's "primp" -- a Pontiac G8 into a 400-horsepower, bright-red G8 GXP.

Mostly, the celebrities are the cars themselves. That's an apt segue into Chrysler's 300c Hollywood, an all-black, limo-like car with champagne service in the rear compartment. Mustangs must be classics, because their designs don't change. Nevertheless, the many heavily optioned specimens on show floor still look cool.

Rolls Royce, Bentley, Infiniti, Lexus, Jaguar, and Land Rover all showed heavily shined sheet metal. (Did you know the last two marques are being sold by Ford to Tata Motors of India?)

In terms of styling, many of the 2009 models on display at the show clearly draw their design cues from the "jellybean" shape so popular in the '90s. A case in point is Ford's Verve concept car.

This uber-round subcompact, which has more interior room and features than Ford's tiny Fiesta, is being positioned as a global vehicle and it's expected to eventually hit the U.S. market in one form or another soon.

In contrast, retro styling was evident in Chevy's HHR Passenger & Panel car-cum-wagons, which are back again at the show this year. Similarly, BWM pretty much reprised its Mini Cooper display from last year; the cars remain extremely popular, especially in the urban setting surrounding this show.

For sheer heft, though, little was wider nor less city friendly than two good-looking trucks -- the F-150 from Ford, and Dodge's all-new 2009 RAM truck, powered by a 5.7-Liter Hemi V-8.