The North American International Auto Show in Detroit officially opened to the public last Saturday and we've seen considerable hype and optimism about the state's car industry.

We hope the coming year is as bright as the auto show is portraying it.

There are some major changes in emphasis and direction in this year's show, which runs through Sunday.

One change comes from the state's two major carmakers, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., which are rolling out new, affordable cars at the show.

The Chevrolet Aveo RS show car provides a glimpse of what designers have in mind for the future production auto that will be built at GM's assembly plant in Orion Township, beginning in 2011. GM officials have said the current Aveo is a major player in Chevrolet's global small-car portfolio. The company intends the Aveo to demonstrate Chevrolet's vision and design potential for a small car it expects customers to buy.

Taking center stage in the Ford display is the next-generation Ford Focus, which is making its worldwide debut.

Meanwhile, Chrysler LLC in Auburn Hills and its Italian partner, Fiat Group S.p.A, are developing a plug-in electric vehicle and other engine technologies.

Affordable is a key word because while the market for the Big 3 American automakers may have stayed the same, the salaries of those potential customers haven't. Many people who are still working probably are doing so with smaller wages and salaries that have been frozen.

When Henry Ford began mass production of the auto it was with the idea to make cars that his workers could afford to buy. Let's hope when the companies talk about "affordable" cars, they have this goal in mind.

Other good news this week includes the report that four Oakland County auto-related manufacturers - General Motors, Chrysler Group LLC, Delphi Automotive Systems and Robert Bosch - will receive a total of more than $41 million in Department of Energy grants.

General Motors in Pontiac is set to receive $7.7 million to develop an engine that uses lean combustion and active heat management, as well as a novel emissions control system, to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration vehicle by 25 percent.

Chrysler LLC will receive $14.45 million to develop a flexible combustion system for its minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.

There's been some good news this week in the auto industry, from the auto show excitement to the federal grants. We hope the developments keep coming throughout the year - we certainly could use them.

The Oakland Press