"We need to develop alternative sources of propulsion," said General Motors chief Rick Wagoner during previews of the Detroit Motor Show which opens to the public from January 19 to January 27.

With oil prices soaring, boosting use of alternative fuels is a "business necessity and an obligation for society" in a world that consumes 1,000 barrels of oil a second, said Wagoner, who heads the biggest US automaker.

"The demand for energy around the world is growing faster than supply."

The Big Three US automakers -- GM, Ford and Chrysler -- touted their commitment to green "concept cars" as US consumers worry about the price of oil.

GM presented the Cadillac Provoq, a battery-powered four-wheel drive and is to launch a test fleet of the 100 Chevrolet Equinox equipped with the battery technology within weeks.

It also plans to introduce eight new hybrid models -- running on both fuel and electricity -- in the United States by the end of the year.

Wagoner meanwhile stressed the importance of alternative "bio-fuels" in weaning drivers off oil. GM announced a partnership with renewable energy company Coskata to produce plant-based ethanol fuel for vehicles.

The car maker unveiled a prototype of its sturdy Humvee -- typically associated with high fuel consumption -- that runs on E85, a blended fuel containing mainly ethanol.

Meanwhile, Ford president Bill Ford announced "a global commitment" to become "leader in sustainability".

Much as European automakers, Ford has introduced a new ecologically-friendly brand called Ecoboost that will be expanded in 2010 even to big pick-up trucks.

Ford wants to sell 500,000 vehicles under this label in the next five years.

The US automobile market must now face double constraints imposed by constantly soaring gasoline prices and new government regulations that tightened fuel consumption standards, which should be reduced by 2020 by 20 percent to 40 percent compared to 1985.

"The subject is coming quite seriously," said Mercedes vice president Herbert Kohler. "We had no such subject years ago."

Chrysler is also a player in this field, presenting prototypes of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Asian automakers that control more than 40 percent of the US market, don't want to be outdone, with Toyota reminding everybody that it had introduced a hybrid model a long time ago.

Therefore, improved performance of the vehicles that constitute the core of the market, all-terrain cars and pick-up trucks, is now key.

However, diesel fuel that allows a reduction in overall fuel consumption is practically absent in the US automobile market, and some industry analysts believe development of cars that run on diesel would be inevitable.

Mercedes-Benz believes its launch of diesel vehicles in 2006 was satisfactory and represents "a motivation to go ahead", according to Kohler.

But little by little, old habits are beginning to change, notably in US cities, where more compact cars have begun making their appearances.

This recent assessment has prompted the German group Daimler to launch this year in the United States its two-seat Smart city car, showcasing its modest fuel consumption.

The first Smart cars -- already commonplace on European streets -- will be delivered this week.

The "green" fashion has reached even builders of luxury cars, with Ferrari presenting for the first time F430 Spider, a car that works on biofuel.

Of course, this is just a prototype.

But "we have the technology and we are ready" if the market situation evolves, said Adam Rowley, vice president of Ferrari North America.

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