Thousands will soon be flocking to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and a new Elkhart company will be one of the main attractions.

As the show casts a major spotlight on electric and hybrid cars this year, Th!nk North America took this chance to market the Th!nk City, which will be manufactured in Elkhart next year.

Like every year, the Detroit auto show floor is full of powered-up cars, pretty girls, and fancy cameras.

But not everything is business as usual.

“I challenge you to find a major automaker this year that doesn’t have a clean vehicle on a rotating platform this year,” said Ann Marie Sastry in the mechanical engineering department at the University of Michigan.

In years past you may have had to search to find an electric or hybrid car on the main floor. Now, they’re the showcase for major automakers.

“As an engineer it really excites me because it's the next frontier in the new technology,” said Gilbert Portaltin, Ford’s hybrid systems application manager.

Meantime, a trip downstairs at the show and you'll find a whole room full of people blazing their own trail.

“If things go as planned you'll be seeing pretty much this car coming off our assembly line in Elkhart,” said Keith Takasawa, Director of product development for Th!nk North America.

The ‘Eco Experience’ at the auto show gives people a chance to ride in electric and hybrid cars in a small track that winds through a true wooded area, installed in the hall’s basement.

Th!nk North America decided the Th!nk City had to be a part of it.

“With the gas prices that peaked at $4.00 a gallon a couple of years ago, I think that caused a sea change in the way the American public looks at electric cars and I think they’re for more ready for it than they were,” Takasawa said.

The engine of the Th!nk City is virtually inaudible compared to the familiar rumble of a gas guzzler.

“It has a range of about 112 miles on a single charge… it has a top speed of over 70 miles an hour for the u-s version,” Takasawa said.

The Th!nk City accelerates like a traditional car, But its manual steering and manual brakes take a little getting used to, as does the body of the car. It’s plastic.

“Plastic works for us very well as a relatively low volume producer of electric cars. We think it also sets us apart from normal car companies,” Takasawa said.

Back upstairs, some still say all-electric cars aren't ready for mainstream America.

“Battery electric vehicles have a specific need a specific market. They're short term urban vehicles for a person that drives probably no more than 40 miles one way,” Portaltin said.

But Th!nk disagrees.

“(The Th!nk City) will meet the needs of the vast majority of the commuting population in the US,” Takasawa said.

As they look around at the other companies test driving their cars, it's obvious they're not the only ones that believe that.

“Some of these guys are competition. One thing that makes think unique is that we have been in production in Europe. Our company is 18 years old and we have over 1,500 cars on the road. We are not a start up,” Takasawa said.

This is the first time Th!nk has been at the auto show in Detroit.

As they introduce the car to North America, there are plans for many more in the future.

“We’ll be spending between $40-$50 million on equipment to put in the plant in Elkhart so that will take some time. Hopefully if everything goes as planned, we'll be in production probably first quarter of next year,” Takasawa said.

The Th!nk City is still currently awaiting certification to be sold in the American market, and the company plans to do some major revisions to the design in the coming years.

Coming up Thursday at 11:00pm; we'll have much more on hybrid and electric cars at this year's auto show and how these emerging technologies may change the way you drive.

Just tune in Thursday night after the Jay Leno Show.