Entre Les Murs

More Cars on the Champs Elysées

Since my last stroll along the Champs Elysées, the car company displays have changed.  This could get to be a regular feature.  The current presentations took up the CO₂ reduction theme that's currently playing well in the media, with a number of hybrid and alternatively fuelled vehicles on display.

Peugot had a funky little fire truck in their front window, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.  Is that really the best way to emphasize the advantages of hydrogen?   "It's so explosive you'll want to have your own fire truck"?


This electric car from Toyota has motors in each wheel, and lots of space inside.

Mercedes-Benz has a more conventional showroom with production cars and sales information available; but they also demonstrated a sort of environmental consciousness, because each car had it's CO₂ emissions shown prominently on a sign with its other specs.  And most of their vehicles seemed to be in the highest, most polluting category.

Renault had some production cars on dispaly too, but continues to show off their formula 1 team.  They had a couple of their race cars in the showroom, and information about the French Grand Prix.  (Apparently a seat costs at least 190€, and up to 335€ for the really choice stands - and that's with an advance purchase; tomorrow they go up about 10%. And parking is at least 30€.  This is the only sport that I'd turn on a television to watch, but that just seems like an awful lot of money.)

posted 28.2.07