Top 5 green cars to watch — straight from the International Motor Show

The International Motor Show — the largest exhibition of automotive technology in the world — just took place in Frankfurt, Germany, last week, drawing out a staggering number of cars and range of concepts. Unsurprisingly, eco-friendly cars took center stage, with most major car makers showing off exactly how green they can be. Despite the media buzz and surrounding hype, many of these vehicles are only concepts for now. But, to give you a sense of what may come to market in the next several years — rocking the way people drive and refuel — here’s a list of the five most promising fuel-efficient cars that made it to the show. (Of course, there’s been no talk of pricing on any of these yet.)

5. Hyundai i10 Electric
Type: Fully-electric; five-seater hatchback
Release target: Production to begin in 2010 in Korea, globally in 2012
Driving range: 99 miles
Top speed: 81 miles per hour (designed for city driving)
Battery: Lithium-ion
Special features: It includes a fast-charge system which can soup up a battery 85 percent in just 15 minutes.
Why you should care: Hyundai has sped ahead of several major competitors recently, including Ford and Honda. It will be interesting to see if it can maintain this lead in the green space. Also, it’s unique battery infrastructure currently makes it prohibitively expensive for average consumers — so the i10 could be a valuable experiment in making advanced batteries affordable enough for the market.

4. Volkswagen E-Up!
Type: Fully-electric vehicle for city driving; three-and-a-half seater
Release target: 2013
Driving range: 81 miles with each 5-hour recharge
Top speed: 84 miles per hour
Battery: Unique lightweight lithium-ion
Special features: Includes a 1.4 square-meter solar panel on it’s roof, and more solar cells on its sun visors that deliver power to the car’s electrical system
Why you should care: Already being marketed as the “Beetle of the 21st century,” the E-Up could be a good test of the viability of green commuter cars. Will people spend money on vehicles just for driving around town? It was also one of the only cars to utilize solar for its electrical functions.

3. Audi R8 E-Tron
Release target: Low-volume production starting in 2012
Type: Plug-in hybrid electric; two-seater
Driving range: 154 miles
Top speed: 124.3 miles per hour
Battery: 1,000-pound lithium-ion battery pack
Special features: Four motors, each driving one wheel; an innovative heat pump system to warm the interior; light emitting-diode headlights; hot-red red paint scheme
Why you should care: With its luxury design and coddling interior, Audi could become a major competitor in the green space with the likes of BMW and Mercedes Benz, two companies it hasn’t been able to trump in the mainstream automotive market.

2. Mercedes Benz F-Cell
Type: Hydrogen fuel-cells; five-seater hatchback
Release target: Production to start in 2010
Driving range: 240 miles
Top speed: 105 miles per hour
Battery: Lithium-ion
Special features: Batteries are powered by a compressed hydrogen system that combines hydrogen and oxygen without combustion to create an electric current; the car’s only emission is water
Why you should care: The F-Cell is one of the only realistic hydrogen-powered models to be unveiled; if it becomes a reality, hydrogen fuel-cells could take plug-in electric out of the equation, making it as close to a truly zero-emission vehicle as possible.

1. BMW Vision EfficientDynamics
Type: Plug-in hybrid electric with turbo-diesel engine; four-seater
Release target: Not specified yet.
Driving range: 31 miles in fully-electric mode; 400 miles using the turbo-diesel from its 6.6-gallon tank
Top speed: 155 miles per hour
Battery: 190-pound of lithium-ion cells
Special features: Windshield extends into a sleek windowed roof, with windowed door panels; night vision system included; upholstery is made of natural minerals; seats can be shuffled to create large luggage space
Why you should care: Its futuristic appearance could usher in a new era of automotive design; and it’s silent, two axle motors give it enough oomph to change people’s perception of hybrid cars as underpowered. See for yourself here.

[Images from Autoblog]

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