Detroit Auto Show will include a 37,000-square-foot exhibit for electric vehicles

At the upcoming 2010 Detroit Auto Show that begins January 11, there will be a 37,000-square-foot exhibit devoted to electric vehicles. Organizers announced that the exhibit will be called Electric Avenue and will be located on the main floor of Detroit’s Cobo Center. On display will be about 20 vehicles from both conventional automakers and startup companies.

The presentation will illustrate “the long-term viability of the auto industry using a subject that is top of mind globally these days,” according to Doug Fox, chairman of the auto show.

The auto show will also reprise last year’s EcoXperience exhibit, which allowed attendees to drive a variety of electric vehicles around a landscaped quarter-mile track in Cobo’s basement.

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. sponsors the exhibit.

The Electric Avenue is sponsored by Dow Chemical Co., which develops batteries for electric vehicles.