AP Television
Frankfurt, Germany - September 14, 2011
1. Mid of row of Smart electric cars plugged into recharging points
2. Mid side shot of Smart "electric drive"
3. Close of battery charger, zoom out to rear of Smart electric drive
4. Mid of prototype carbon chassis of Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell
5. Mid front three quarters of acid green Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell
6. Mid, low angle of Mercedes B-Class F-Cell
7. Mid, side view of Mercedes B-Class F-Cell
8. Cutaway of Dieter Zetsche, CEO Mercedes-Benz, speaking to journalist
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dieter Zetsche, CEO, Mercedes-Benz:
"We will start with a significantly higher volume of production in 2014 and we foresee in the year 2016, at the latest 17, to accomplish a cost position which is equal or similar to Diesel Hybrid. So within these five to six years we are not only technically but economically fully competitive with this new drive-train as well."
10. Mid of Mercedes B-Class F-Cell, hydrogen fuel pump in foreground
11. Close of recharging station pull out to Porsche Boxster E
12. Close low angle of Porsche Boxster E as visitor opens door
13. Wide of Volkswagen "up!" logo
14. Wide of Volkswagen "up!" cars on stand
15. Mid of white Volkswagen "up!", pull out to wide
16. Mid rear of Volkswagen concept "up!" Azzurra beach car
17. Mid rear of Volkswagen single passenger concept "Nils"
18. Close of Volkswagen concept "Nils"
19. SOUNDBITE (German) Dr. Natascha K�nstner, Volkswagen Research and Development:
"Nils" is a concept car by VW Research and it focuses on micro-mobility, that is to say, urban mobility. It is a single-passenger vehicle, because studies have shown that 70 percent of commuters drive less than 25 kilometres to work, and that 90 percent drive by themselves. That is why it is a single-passenger concept."
20. Close pan right of Volkswagen concept "Nils"
21. Wide of Volkswagen concept "Nils"
22. Close pan right of Audi "urban concept"
23. Close of grille of BMW i8 concept, pull to wide
24. Mid of BMW i8 concept, rotating on stand
25. Mid of BMW i8 concept interior
26. Wide of Rimac Automobili "concept one"
27. Mid of concept one interior
28. SOUNDBITE (Croatian) Mate Rimac, automotive designer and founder of Rimac Automobili:
"Frankfurt Motor Show is the biggest automobile exhibition in the world and we have come here to present our concept. The whole industry is here and our aim is to network and present our work looking at its best."
29. Close of battery block used in Rimac Automobili "concept one"
30. Wide of Rimac Automobili "concept one"
31. Wide of Toyota Prius stand
32. Close of Lithium-ion battery as used in Toyota Prius+, pull out to mid of battery and Prius+ in background
33. Close of Lithium-ion battery, pull out to mid of chassis and wheel
34. Close of Hybrid Synergy Drive engine, pull out to Prius+
Frankfurt, Germany - September 13, 2011
35. Mid side shot of Renault Twizy concept
36. Close pan left of recharging station plug to hooked-up recharger in front side of Renault Twizy concept
37. Wide of Renault Twizy concept
38. Mid of Renault Scenic, with pink vintage Renault in background
39. Close of side of Renault Scenic, reading: 115g/km CO2, Renault eco2
LEAD IN:
The Frankfurt Motor Show is the biggest in the world and is the place to see what tomorrow''s cars today - from zany concept cars to hi-tech hydrogen fuel technology.
There''s no need for a crystal ball, here''s what the car makers think we will be driving in the future.
Is this what the garage of the future looks like? A line up of cars plugged into power sockets.
Urban car maker Smart certainly thinks so.
The future drives into town at this year''s IAA Frankfurt Motor Show with manufacturers showing off the latest innovations in hybrid and electric-powered vehicles.
These Smart cars have ditched their traditional one-litre petrol engines for a Tesla lithium-ion battery pack.
These near-production models show what the cars will look like when they hit showrooms in the second quarter of 2012.
The battery has a range of nearly 90 miles and the car has a top speed of 75mph.
Smart is boasting a sprightly performance of 0-40 mph in around five seconds.
At Mercedes, the SLS AMG E-Cell is on display in bright acid green, packing 533 horsepower this fully electric vehicle. Mercedes claim acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just four seconds. Enough to embarrass most gas-guzzling, petrol-powered sports cars away from the lights.
The B-Class F-Cell (fuel cell) runs from another power source altogether - hydrogen.
It has been produced in a limited edition of just 200 units, for select customers. To prove the hydrogen concept works, the cars was driven around the world on all five continents
Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche believes sales of hydrogen vehicles will soon match those of diesel hybrids:
"We will start with a significantly higher volume of production in 2014 and we foresee in the year 2016, at the latest 17, to accomplish a cost position which is equal or similar to Diesel Hybrid. So within these five to six years we are not only technically but economically fully competitive with this new drive-train as well."
On the Volkswagen stand, a new four-seater urban model called the "up!" is attracting attention.
The German car maker is calling the class a New Small Family car.
The basic version comes with a one-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine capable of either 60 or 75bhp.
The Volkswagen "up!" starts at an affordable 9,850 Euros (USD 13,642).
Along with the release of the "up!", which is intended for mass production, several concept studies are on show, including the "up! Azzurra", conceived as a ''beach car''.
Volkswagen is also showing off its single-passenger study "Nils", focusing on urban mobility and single commuters.
Dr. Natascha K�nstner, Volkswagen Research and Development says: "Nils" is a concept car by VW Research and it focuses on micro-mobility, that is to say, urban mobility. It is a single-passenger vehicle, because studies have shown that 70 percent of commuters drive less than 25 kilometres to work, and that 90 percent drive by themselves. That is why it is a single-passenger concept."
Audi has come up with its own similar one-seater study called "urban concept".
It comes with a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis with 21-inch wheels covered by protective plates. A sliding canopy provides access to the car, much like a fighter jet.
At BMW, the "i8" plug-in hybrid concept was all the rage.
It''s a sports car capable of 0-60mph in four and a half seconds and with a top-speed of 155mph.
The four seater "i8" combines an electric motor with a three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 220bhp.
The world''s biggest automotive manufacturers are here, but so are some of the smallest, but they don''t lack ambition.
Croatian up-and-coming automotive designer Mate Rimac presented his "concept one" sports car.
According to Rimac, it is the most powerful fully electric performance vehicle in the world packing a white-knuckle 1,088bhp.
He says: "Frankfurt Motor Show is the biggest automobile exhibition in the world and we have come here to present our concept. The whole industry is here and our aim is to network and present our work looking at its best."
The idea for his car came after the team converted an old BMW into a superfast electric race car. Rimac Automobili "concept one" is the result.
At Toyota, holding the majority of patents in hybrid technology, changes to the popular Prius series were presented.
Toyota managed to add an optional third row of seating in its Prius+ due to innovations in making the lithium batteries it uses lighter and smaller.
At Renault, which is on the forefront of affordable hybrid and electric models, the fully electric one-seater study "Twizy" was presented.
The Frankfurt Motor Show continues until September 25, 2011.