First the good news: There are definitely some cool new eco-friendly cars news coming from Detroit's 2007 North American International Auto Show.

Judging from the buzz, there are two green standouts. The first is General Motors' new electric concept car, called the Chevrolet Volt. GM is touting it as a plug-in hybrid that could deliver the equivalent of 150 miles a gallon. If it works, the Volt might give GM, the environmental edge it needs for today's marketplace, according to the auto industry experts at CNN.

The other car that's exciting environmentally-sensitive drivers (I'm not sure if that's an oxymoron) is the Toyota’s 400-horsepower FT-HS hybrid. It's a sports car and a hybrid -- which seems to strike the perfect note for people who like to save gas and floor it on the open road.

Unfortunately, the show's real darling isn't environmentally-oriented at all. This year's hot ticket is Toyota's gigantic new truck called the Tundra CrewMax. It's an oversize-cab version and experts speculate that Toyota is now hoping to appeal to that segment of drivers who, best as I can tell, think really big trucks are all the better to squash pesky hybrids.

There's a good post at WorldChanging.com, where the writer speculates on why Toyota appears to be more interested in big cars this year, instead of the hybrids that have earned the company so much kudos in recent years.

Meanwhile, I can't help but think that this show captures the schizophrenic nature of American drivers. Carmakers are clearly trying to cater to drivers with entirely different sets of values. Some of us want minivans that can be converted to a movie theater or living room. Others feel guilty when we drive a car at all (and worse, when we like it.)

It remains unclear whether Detroit can bridge this gap, but one thing is sure: It's not just about cupholders anymore.