Let’s start out with my in-the-moment string of notes during the Press Preview at this year’s NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show). This covers the main ideas about this year’s program at the time. I’ll add a few more comments and expanded thoughts at the end.

Not sure if it’s an actual color trend, but there’s a lot of orange at this year’s #NAIAS #NAIAS2018

Attendance seems down and space more open at #NAIAS2018. Things just seem off this year. First thought it was decline of auto industry.

There’s been gap-filling of various kinds over the last few years, suppliers and related fields, but not the vacant corridors this year.

The concept of automotive ownership may be starting to decline, but it’s not to that level yet.

More media info is being released directly from the companies’ media sites directly – cheaper and easier than preparing press kits.

The political environment can’t help. I don’t have #NAIAS info, but my personal impression is that foreign journalist turnout seems low.

Even the “rides” are empty. Maybe journalists are all jaded, and these will fill during the public show. But lotsa folks standing around.

There’s a hominess to a number of the displays. Wood flooring, even on the turntables. And a giant cozy shadowbox wall display.

Maybe fewer booth babes (of the stand next to the car on the turntable variety) at #NAIAS2018 Don’t know about public show in comparison.

Pretty sure this display was also at #naias2017 so there’s some recycling going on, even if -green- is no longer part of the program.

Again, I don’t have specific numbers, but there seem to be fewer cars per display. There’s a subduedness, even in all the flash &bombast

Outrageous seems to be the antithesis of #NAIAS2018 There’s too much of it in the world already, and adding to it won’t go far. They get it.

Not sure if #NAIAS is relevant to @ecogeek anymore. Transport is an important element in a greener world, but carmakers have moved on.

It wasn’t the first thing that occurred to me, but gradually, I had the growing sense that this was not nearly as full of a show as previous years. There are several things that could be causing that, and it’s likely some combination of all of those factors. (And I could be completely wrong, the numbers might be different, but it’s my sense of what I observed this year.) I’m fairly certain that foreign coverage was down from previous years. The increased travel difficulties (getting a visa at all, let alone a working visa) mean fewer reporters. A few years ago, I recall the big, welcoming banner in the giant media room with flags of many nationalities. In 2011, I wrote elsewhere: “The polyglot nature of the show is reinforced both by the numbers of national flags hanging from the ceiling overhead as well as the languages one overhears walking through the room.” There was none of that in 2018.

The cost of travel could be another factor. With the big automakers increasingly running their own media, the handouts and press kits are in decline. Now, all a writer needs to do to get lots of press releases and images is go to the media website of the company (media.carcompany.com or some such) and download all the information they need. No travel and dealing with Michigan winter required.

Could it be that ownership of automobiles is beginning to decline, and with it a waning interest in cars in general? I’m not sure that we are quite at that point yet, but there could be an overall fading of interest in cars, and a matching reduction in the amount of coverage that media outlets are willing to provide for it. Even the local TV and radio stations, that have had a notable presence at recent years’ shows were less present this year.

There were cars to be seen, of course, but very much a less compelling show, especially for an EcoGeek. Sure, there are still electric vehicles as part of the mix, and some ongoing forward steps from a couple of the companies that seem to be doing some things toward being greener. But, at the end of the day, not a strong show, and not one with much in the way of green news at all.