This week and next, the hub of American innovation appears to be a city that all too often hogs headlines as a poster child for urban blight: Detroit. For the duration of the Detroit Auto Show, at least, which kicked off yesterday and stretches till the 27^th, that city is presenting innovations to rival many products coming out of the Bay Area. Here are a few of the most eye-catching stories so far:

Cadillac unveiled an ELR plug-in hybrid, modeled after the Chevy Volt, reports the LA Times. The VP of Global Cadillac said that the brand has struggled a little bit in California, but that “this car will refresh consideration among Californians.” How will the ELR fare on the road? Though it has the same basic drivetrain as a Volt, the electric motor is stronger, 207-horsepower versus the Volt’s 149. The ELR is front-wheel drive and has a single-speed transmission. It will take 4.5 hours to charge via a 240V outlet, 12 hours via a 120V outlet. Pricing is likely to be around 60 to 70 grand.

Tesla Motors presented a nifty, Back-to-the-Future-esque, Model X design prototype. First deliveries of that electric crossover car are planned for 2014. Engadget is on the scene with some cool photos and video, as well as a look at the 17-inch multi-function touch panel inside (a number of bloggers seem more excited by the interior than anything else–“shockingly nice,” says one). A Times reporter was mostly frustrated by Tesla’s unwillingness to say how many cars it has built or delivered. The young company’s cash flow is an issue.

Meanwhile, Ford teased a pickup concept, called Atlas, likely to be available in 2015. The WSJ’s Joe White has a thoughtful take on which futuristic concepts are viable, and which aren’t. Many manufacturers appear to be trying to rebrand or diversify; consider Hyundai’s HCD-14, a luxury Hyundai, or Lincoln’s MKC, a small utility vehicle.

HuffPo, meanwhile, has reams of pictures, together with its takes on Kia’s assault on the North American premium sedan market (the 2014 Cadenza, which will tout a powerful V-6 engine), Jeep’s move to diesel (with the Grand Cherokee, whose 3-liter EcoDiesel engine can tow almost four tons), and Volkswagen’s eye for the midsize SUV market (with the “CrossBlue,” still a concept, a plug-in hybrid SUV with twin electric motors and a diesel engine).

If you’re especially excited about a concept car, take to the blogosphere or call up the company in question; reaction to the auto show can be make-or-break for a lot of these ideas floating around.

Underscoring the overall idea that Detroit is a city both celebrating its past and looking to the future was a presentation yesterday by VIA Motors. Thomas Edison himself (OK, an actor portraying him) was projected as a holographic image, and presented advice on a topic in which he’d have a stake: electric vehicles.