The Frankfurt Motor Show, which kicked off on Sept. 10 and runs through Sept. 22, is one of the world’s most prominent opportunities for carmakers to unveil their newest inventions.

This year, the buzz is mostly about battery-powered vehicles.

The auto industry’s largest event in Europe comes at a time when car sales in the region are at their lowest level in two decades. The German Association of the Automotive Industry predicted that car sales in Western Europe would see a further 5 percent drop to 11.2 million units this year.

But rather than grumbling about the gloomy present, a growing number of manufacturers seem determined to look toward the future, unveiling full-electric or hybrid versions of their sports and high-performance cars.

Electric cars on display

Interest in battery-powered cars appeared to be fading after initially disappointing sales, but it may pick up again this year with the introduction of the long-anticipated BMW i3 compact, the first premium full-electric car.

Following the i3, BMW unveiled the production model of the i8 sports coupe, impressing the audience with its revolutionary styling, which underwent few changes from the previous concept design. 

The i8 also boasts impressive performance figures, such as its 220 horsepower, while maintaining the fuel economy of a hybrid compact, about 37 kilometers per liter. Like the i3, carbon fiber covers the body.

Volkswagen Group is another automaker that has been up front about its ambitions in the electric car market. The company has introduced a number of battery-powered models across brands, including the Volkswagen e-Up and e-Golf, the Audi A3 e-tron hybrid and the Porsche 918 Spyder. 

“We are starting at precisely the right time. We are electrifying all vehicle classes, and therefore have everything we need to make the Volkswagen Group the top automaker in all respects, including electric mobility, by 2018,” said Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn.

The auto giant says that, fully charged, the e-Up minicar can travel 165 kilometers, pumping out a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour.

The Porsche 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid sports car that has 887 horsepower and a maximum speed of 340 kilometers per hour. But its fuel efficiency still ranges at a healthy 29.4 to 33.3 kilometers per liter.

Since 2007, the market for electric vehicles has doubled every year. Germany alone plans to inject billions of euros to boost the industry, aiming to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2020.

Hyundai renews pledge

Hyundai Motor unwrapped the new generation i10 minicar, known as the Morning in Korea, at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new i10, designed by the carmaker’s Europe design team and built at its Turkish plant, aims to compete in the highly contested small-hatchback market, especially against the Volkswagen Up.

Pinning high hopes on the i10, Hyundai pledged to launch 22 new models in Europe, including replacements, by 2017.

“We’re calling this ‘Product momentum 2017.’ These products will help us to sustain our growth and ultimately to achieve a 5 percent market share in Europe,” said Mark Hall, head of marketing at Hyundai Motor Europe.

In the first half of 2013, the carmaker’s European market share was 3.5 percent.

Hyundai affiliate Kia Motors also unveiled a concept crossover, called Niro. The car, sporting a pair of butterfly doors, is the 10th concept car designed at the company’s design center in Europe.

This year, more than 1,000 carmakers and related companies from 35 countries participated in the biannual event. Hyundai and Kia were the only automakers from Korea.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)