Europeans embrace electric drives at Frankfurt auto show (pictures)

This year's Frankfurt auto show included a preponderance of electrified vehicles, both hybrids and battery-powered, along with important new cars and a whole slew of concepts.

Wayne Cunningham

Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.

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Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars

Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.

Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials

North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror

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Tim Stevens Former editor at large for CNET Cars

Tim Stevens got his start writing professionally while still in school in the mid '90s, and since then has covered topics ranging from business process management to video game development to automotive technology.

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Chris Paukert Former executive editor / Cars

Following stints in TV news production and as a record company publicist, Chris spent most of his career in automotive publishing. Mentored by Automobile Magazine founder David E. Davis Jr., Paukert succeeded Davis as editor-in-chief of Winding Road, a pioneering e-mag, before serving as Autoblog's executive editor from 2008 to 2015. Chris is a Webby and Telly award-winning video producer and has served on the jury of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards. He joined the CNET team in 2015, bringing a small cache of odd, underappreciated cars with him.

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Wayne Cunningham

Antuan Goodwin

Tim Stevens

Chris Paukert

Sept. 16, 2015 7:27 a.m. PT

1 of 40 Josh Miller/CNET

Porsche Mission E concept

Porsche's all electric concept boasts a range of 310 miles.

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Porsche Mission E concept

With Porsche engineering, the Mission E should have excellent handling.

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Audi E-tron Quattro concept

Audi is working towards an electric car in 2018, using the E-tron Quattro concept as a research vehicle.

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Nissan Gripz concept

Nissan Gripz concept was inspired by a Datsun 240Z rally car.

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Nissan Gripz concept

The Nissan Gripz concept uses electric propulsion based on the Leaf.

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BMW 330e

BMW shows off a plug-in hybrid version of the 3-series.

BMW 330e

The BMW 330e's iDrive infotainment system is modified to show electric propulsion information.

2017 Jaguar F-Pace

Jaguar unveiled its first SUV.

2017 Jaguar F-Pace

Jaguar has a lot of legacy engineering and electronics to bank on for the F-Pace.

2016 BMW X1

BMW has a completely redesigned and rebuilt X1 small SUV.

2016 Infiniti Q30

Infinit's latest model shows striking design.

Honda Project 2&4

2016 Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage gets a big tech update.

2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia

Alfa Romeo brings another model to the US.

Toyota C-HR concept

Toyota preps a completely new small SUV.

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Rolls-Royce Dawn

Rolls-Royce's new convertible is its most approachable car.

Mazda Koeru concept

Mazda shows off a concept that could fit into its CX line of SUVs.

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Audi Lunar Quattro

Audi partners with a team Part Time Scientists to send a four-wheel-drive rover to the moon.

Hyundai Vision Gran Turismo concept

Hyundai shows off its concept for the Gran Turismo video game.

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Citroen Cactus M concept

Citroen modifies its popular Cactus model.

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Citroen Cactus M concept

The Cactus M concept's seats embrace its occupants.

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Peugeot Fractal concept

Peugeot brought a sports car concept to the Frankfurt auto show.

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Peugeot Fractal concept

The Fractal concept shows serious use of carbon fiber.

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Jaguar C-X75 Spectre

This Jaguar C-X75 appears in the latest James Bond movie, Spectre.

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Land Rover Defender Spectre

The baddies drive this Land Rover Defender in the latest James Bond movie, Spectre.

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Mercedes-Benz G500

The massive G-Wagen is even harder to miss in fluorescent yellow paint.

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Mercedes-Benz IAA concept

Mercedes-Benz designed this concept car just for the Frankfurt auto show.

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Mercedes-Benz IAA concept

The Mercedes-Benz IAA concept is one vision the company sees for its future cars.

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Smart ForTwo Disco

Smart brought out the disco edition of its Smart ForTwo.

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Porsche 911 Carrera S

Porsche's new turbocharged Carrera S looks good in blue.

Ferrari 488 Spider

A new open top version of the Ferrari 488 took the stage.

Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 Spyder

Not to be outdone on the open top theme, Lamborghini releases a Spyder version of its Huracán.

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Bentley Bentayga

It's official, Bentley now makes an SUV, and it's called Bentayga.

Smart Fortwo Cabriolet

Smart gives buyers of its redesigned Fortwo and Forfour an open-air option with the launch of two Cabriolet models.

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Mercedes-Benz Gran Turismo Vision concept

Mercedes-Benz's GT Vision Concept makes a return appearance at the car show, which is looking more and more like a video game trailer.

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Kia Procee'd GT Line

Kia's Cee'd, Procee'd, and Sportage models all get new "GT Line" trim levels with more aggressive looks and sport-tuned suspensions.

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Honda Civic Tourer Active Life concept

The Euro-market Honda Civic Tourer sport wagon gets modified to meet the needs of drivers with active lifestyles.

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Mazda Mazda2

Remember what the Mazda2 looked like before it became the Scion iA? CNET remembers.

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Toyota Mirai

The Frankfurt auto show is such a large show that the fastest way to get from one end to the other is to hop a ride on a "presseshuttle" car provided by the manufacturers. Among the fleet, we spotted this Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.