Successful Ride & Drive Returns and Expands at the 2010 North American International Auto Show

Detroit, MI - December 22, 2009 - One of the highlights of the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is making a grand return in 2010. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) EcoXperience will feature upwards of 20 vehicles available for the press to drive when the show opens to the media on Jan. 11.

Attendees during the Industry Preview and the public show will also be able to ride along. The unique one-quarter-mile course will take guests through a landscape featuring more than 200 evergreen and deciduous trees; over 600 evergreen and flowering shrubs; over 5,000 flowering tulips, daffodils, hyacinths; approximately 650,000 pounds of stone and over 130,000 gallons of water flowing through two water features, both with waterfalls.

"The support of the MEDC has been nothing short of ground-breaking with the NAIAS," said Doug Fox, Chairman, 2010 NAIAS." The heart of the MEDC mission is to spark economic growth in our state, and the dedication they have shown by not only kicking this project off at the 2009 NAIAS, but expanding it and bringing it back to the 2010 NAIAS is exciting as well as commendable. We not only appreciate what they bring to the show, but fully support what they want to bring to the state, the nation and the world in the unique forum that is NAIAS."

The MEDC EcoXperience will dovetail perfectly with the brand-new feature of Electric Avenue, a 37,000 square-foot area of the main show floor dedicated to showcasing the latest in electronic vehicles and technology.

Scheduled vehicles in the MEDC EcoXperience include:

Audi A3
Audi Q7
BYD e6
Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
Commuter Cars Tango
EV Innovations 2010 LiV WISE
Ford Escape
Ford Fusion
GEM E4
GMC Yukon Hybrid
GMC Silverado Hybrid
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Fuel Cell
Mercedes-Benz ML 450 Hybrid
Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid
Mercury Mariner
Mercury Milan
Mitsubishi iMiEV
Saba Motors (X Prize)
smart car2go
SSI Racing (X Prize)
Think City

Additional vehicles to be added and will be listed on www.naias.com when confirmed.