L.A. Auto Show preparations: Photo gallery

The Lexus LF-Ch Premium Compact Hybrid concept car sits next to other alternative fuel vehicles that will be featured at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Darrell Weberg spruces up the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid before the L.A. Auto Show. The car, made in Irvine, burns no fuel for the first 50 miles. At that point, the car operates as a normal hybrid vehicle.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Geoff Day, director of communications for Mercedes-Benz USA, shows the S400 Hybrid’s power plant to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of the Los Angeles Convention Center, where the L.A. Auto Show will take place.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sits in the driver’s seat of a BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept car as Peter Miles, senior vice president of operations for BMW North America, points out its features.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Ron Fyffe, front, gets some help from Pat Evo, left, and Rick Reeves in pushing the new Mitsubishi i-MiEV, an electric vehicle that boasts zero-emissions, to a lineup of alternative fuel vehicles promoting the 2009 L.A. Auto Show.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)