GENEVA'S GREEN STATEMENT Global carmakers will tell you that the Geneva Motor Show is the show where statements are made. And as demand for autos diversifies and the playing field heats up, so does pressure to differentiate one's brand from the competition. "It's by far the most important motor show for getting any messages you've got across over corporately or from a product perspective," says Colin Dodge, Nissan's executive vice president with responsibility for Africa, the Middle East, India and Europe. "It is the show of the year for Europe." This year's 260 exhibitors are aiming to impress an expected 700000 visitors through March 18. Product statements prove that the greening of the car industry is well underway and the overall trend is, as one executive put it, "Don't do more, do it better." Three years ago, the Geneva show was the first to inaugurate a dedicated space for environmentally friendly vehicles and technologies: the Green Pavilion. This year it offers test! drives of 16 hybrid and pure-electric models. Jerry Hardcastle, vice president of design and development at Nissan Technical Center Europe, said the industry-wide trend to reduce CO2 emissions is driving the decision-making on all technology. The challenge is finding the right mix. "Now we've got hybrids, plug-in hybrids coming, electric vehicles, and in the future we're probably looking at fuel-cell technology," Hardcastle says. "All of these technologies are coming in. We've got such a diverse range
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