The electric revolution may have taken hold at the North American International Auto Show on Sunday as the world's auto industry gathered in Detroit, but not one EV-anything will resuscitate these major companies.

Yes, the Jeep Patriot EV Chrysler LLC introduced is cute. The Cadillac Converj has an interesting name spelling -- and is a great way to make use of the Chevrolet Volt's underpinnings -- but General Motors Corp. won't sell one of them this year.

These vehicles are important, but in an esoteric, we're-gonna-build-them-some-day kind of way.

Concept vehicles don't pay the rent. The Chevy Malibu and Silverado will have to pick up today's check, thank you very much.

Why worry about the 2013 lineup when some companies are concerned about getting through 2009? And the consensus is some of them won't.

One of the best ways to find out what people are going to buy is to walk the floor of Cobo Center with Dave Champion, Consumer Reports' senior director of auto testing.

The magazine has become one of the most influential car-buying guides in the United States and Champion has little time for the electric vehicles until they're sold at dealerships.

"They are not going to have a major impact on the auto industry for years to come," Champion said about Sunday's electric vehicle introductions.

So what's out there that will sell today? Loads.

As we walked the show floor, Champion never pulled a punch, taking time to point out the "ugly" front grille of new Acuras and questioning why GM would ever introduce the Chevy Spark, a small two-door car, to America.

"Who is going to buy this?" he said as we looked over the lime green box-shaped car born from the Chevy Beat concept.

I disagreed, saying GM is primed to bring to market a cool urban racer that can provide extraordinary gas mileage and squeeze into tight city parking spaces.

"But it only has two doors. Young people aren't going to buy this car because young people don't buy new cars," Champion said, each word crisply cut with his native British accent.

By Champion's account, none of the automakers hit the ball out of the park with their introductions Sunday.

The Ford Taurus may come with a wealth of technology inside, but it has the exterior styling of a tank, he said.

"You know it's going to be reliable, you know it is going to be well made, but that car just doesn't have the styling needed to make a mark."

But in the same breath, he turned and pointed to the Ford Flex.

"Now I like this," he said. "At first I wasn't sure, but after testing it and driving my family around in it, we were all impressed."

Now there was something I could agree with. The Flex will even be that much better when Ford soon adds its 355-horsepower 3.5-liter turbocharged Ecoboost V-6.

Champion can list off the cars he likes and dislikes as quickly as we walk past them. Lexus HS 250h, likes. Buick LaCrosse, likes, but is not sure if it will be as successful as the Buick Enclave that has attracted younger buyers.

One vehicle we both loved was one that no one mentioned in the eco-hyped introductions Sunday: the Chevrolet Camaro.

The car will arrive in dealerships in the coming months. Although it's generating buzz with consumers, Chevrolet tucked the Camaro away in a corner of its display.

As we walked through Chrysler's display, Champion looked over the white 300C and nodded his approval.

"Chrysler has always designed great-looking vehicles," he said as we walked up to the Chrysler 200C. "But I don't know if the company is going to make it."

It's nothing new to report that Detroit's carmakers have a perception problem. The quality of their collective work continues to improve.

But after decades of producing inferior cars, many consumers have no desire to even walk into a GM, Ford or Chrysler dealership.

"The irony is that most people would never know that the quality of the Mercury Milan or Ford Fusion is superior to that of a Toyota Camry," Champion said.

He's right, no one seems to know that, and if you tell them, they'll laugh at you, I added.

"Detroit has taken decades to dig themselves in the hole they're in right now," said Jack Nerad, Kelley Blue Book's editorial director. "It's going to take them just as long to dig themselves out of it."

That's not encouraging, but it sounds like there's a faint light at the top of the hole.

And after looking over the new BMW Z4 -- the sharpest roadster on the floor today -- we wondered if diesel engines will ever take hold in America.

"I hope they do, but I imagine they'll only be a small following," he said.

Sadly, I agreed.

But even with all the introductions and hype of an auto show, Champion and I shared a certain amount of optimism.

Yes, 2009 is going to be a tough year. But there are some great vehicles coming to dealerships. And every carmaker still around at year's end can talk about their electric hybrid do-hickey then.

Until then, there's some serious sheet metal to move and Detroit's iron has never looked better. Champion may disagree, but that's OK.