Frankfurt Auto Show 2009

Although we didn't get to go to Frankfurt, we were very interested to read about some of the new concept cars shown there recently. There were quite a few electric cars, and some hybrids and even one car that could be powered from 3 different platforms.

There were two from Tesla, one of which was a highly tricked out sport style crafted by Brabus, part of a new division the independent tuner is calling the "Brabus Low Emission Vehicles" and it's customized to the max. Given what the Tesla costs anyway, this will not be the vehicle of the masses. There was also a Tesla Model S, which can accommodate seven!

The Ford Focus BEV was there - it was also shown earlier at the Detroit Auto Show, where it was announced that Ford will begin production of this car in 2011. The car shown in Frankfurt looked a little different from the concept model test driven by All Cars Electric in January. At that time a vice-president at Ford said she thought the car would have a 100 mile range. Cnet reported the Frankfort model as having a 75 mile range with a top speed of 85mph. As far as cost, no one has heard any dollar amounts being applied, but All Cars Electric seems to think it would be above $20,000.

Volkswagen debuted an Electric version of the Up!, a model they expect to put into production, possibly by 2013. The E-Up! includes a solar panel on the roof which is designed to assist in powering the car's electrical system and a fan to keep the interior cool when the car is parked. Like the Ford, it is powered by a lithium ion battery and will have an 80 mile range. Autoblog has both a feature and Volkswagen's own press release for this "Beetle for the New Millennium."

Peugeot introduced the Ion, but it's not really their design; it's a rebadged Mitsubishi, and Renault showed a concept car which is part of their quest to be one of the leaders in electric cars, with production starting in 2011. Their concept was called the "Zoe Z.E." Both it and the Ion are lithium ion battery powered.

One of the stars of the show was the new Audi e-tron, with its lithium ion batteries mounted in the back to provide weight for more traction. It is rated at 0 to 62 in 4.8 seconds compared to the usual 0-60 in 14 or 15 seconds for electric cars. And it will have a range of around 150 miles. Very sporty and attracted to those of us who love performance cars.

BMW's concept "Vision" uses a diesel motor on the rear axel and an electric motor in the front; an example of what BMW calls "efficient dynamics" that claims to put out only 99g of CO2 per km.

Also at Frankfurt was Daimler AG, which showed Mercedes Benz hybrids and the "Blue Zero E-cell plus" electric car with range extender. It's a technology that allows them to use architecture for a single car to create three different drive systems.

It appears that the car companies are really taking an electric car seriously - at least in Europe. Paul Scott of Plug In America was quoted in Hybrid Cars saying he thought Frankfurt showed a shift in attitude by car makers.

The hybrids are now all on their way from Frankfurt to the Tokyo Motor Show held later this month. It will be interesting to see what kind of statement the Japanese auto designers make.

One thing is certain - if the intense interest shown by manufacturers towards electric cars continues, it may be the environment and those of us living in it who will benefit. In the meantime, however, it remains in our best interests to reduce our individual carbon footprint as much as we can and ridesharing is a good option, especially if you can share with someone compatible, as you can with ZoomPool!