Thomas Edison hologram chats at Detroit Auto Show

Thomas Edison / AP

DETROIT Past met present at the auto show Monday when a holographic image of Thomas Edison was used to promote vehicles from electric truck and van maker VIA Motors.

Bob Lutz, the retired General Motors executive who led development of the Chevy Volt, took to the stage at the North American International Auto Show to listen as a hologram of a person portraying the inventor gave advice about the potential for electric vehicles.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Edison, and I assure you we will not let you down," Lutz told the image.

The talk with Edison followed a trapeze performance above the exhibit floor featuring two scantily clad women that was received by applause.

Such an attention-grabbing presentation isn't a first for Lutz at the show. In 1992, the then-Chrysler chief drove the new Jeep Grand Cherokee through a plate glass window.

"This conversation seemed so real to me," Lutz quipped. "I feel like we're old friends."

Privately-held VIA Motors is offering a large SUV and cargo van to fleet customers. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. partnered with VIA Motors on the SUV, which is called the Presidential, and Verizon is using the cargo van. VIA also showed a full-size concept pickup truck.

The vehicles are powered by an engine that the company said can generate more than 400 horsepower and offer extended-range driving. They also can generate power for outside use, a feature the utility said could be beneficial.

"VIA's new vehicles have the potential to transform the way we at PG&E manage electrical outages, and to help us provide safer, more reliable service for our customers," PG&E Senior Vice President Greg Pruett said in a statement.

[KaytlinPatterson]

Great article by CBS news on VIA Motors' extended-range electric trucks, vans and SUV's, driven by a similar concept to the Chevy Volt, but for large vehicles. I have been a huge fan of Edison for many years because he spoke about solar, wind, electric vehicles and vegetarianism way before anyone else was. He was a brilliant man of his time and someone I will always look up to greatly. I drive a Chevy Volt and average 2,000/mpg and it only costs me about $1.50/day to charge it in my garage. It's my favorite car ever but I would love larger VIA electric SUV so I can cart my kids and dogs around. Let's get America independent again, off foreign oil and clean up our dirty air for this generation and future generations to come. Go green! :)

[MrBoomshadow]

I'm with Eyerishiam! Edison had a few good ideas, but most of them were related to making him money by exploiting other people's brain power. Tesla was the most extreme example of that, though it was Tesla's contributions to alternating current electricity and brushless electric motors that have done the most good. Well, along with the real wireless radio patents (and all the ones that led up to it). Oh, and wireless electricity, even if it was never developed because George Westinghouse couldn't figure out how to monetize it. Granted, Musk has pretty much co-opted the Tesla name, but VIA should be ashamed of itself for continuing the myth of Edison's usefulness.

[eyerishiam]

Thomas Edison was a crook! Nicoli Tesla is finally being recognized for his role in bringing electricity to the masses.He not only built a better light bulb,but he now has one hell of a nice looking car,named in his honor.