GENEVA - The 89th Geneva International Motor Show opened to the public on Thursday, where electric cars continue to take the lead by many auto makers for the future development of the industry.

As the first annual European car show, GIMS is known as a weather-vane of the automotive industry. At this year's show, it clearly points to electrification.

Nearly half of the 150 premieres at the show were electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. The world's major automakers, such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, all unveiled their electric or hybrid models center-stage.

For the past few years Audi has shown its ambitions in the field of electric vehicles. Following the launch of the all-electric e-tron quattro at GIMS last year, it brought the world premiere of the new Q4 e-tron electric concept. A compact SUV, the Q4 has a cruising range of 450 kilometers and is expected to be put into mass production by the end of 2020.

Besides the Q4, Audi also unveiled four electric models and four plug-in hybrids. The company said it will expand its electrification strategy by launching 12 electric models for major global markets by 2025. Electric vehicles are expected to account for one-third of its global sales by then.

Volkswagen also introduced its all-terrain electric concept model ID.BUGGY, which eliminates the design of canopy and doors and is made of waterproof material. The new model features a high-voltage battery pack, resulting in a cruising range of up to 250 km even when tackling tough terrain. Volkswagen said it plans to launch 10 electric models in total by 2025.

Mercedes-Benz has taken a different approach by selecting various subdivided markets. Its new EQV concept car, one of the world's premieres at this year's auto show, is defined as the first electric luxury MPV. It has a cruising range of up to 400 km and can travel 100 km with just 15 minutes of charging.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz also launched the first electric racing model, the EQ Silver Arrow 01. The auto giant said it is investing 10 billion euros (about $11.20 billion) in developing electric vehicles and building a new global battery production network.

This year's GIMS saw BMW launch six world premiere plugin hybrids, including the hybrid xDrive45e of the X5 series. BMW CEO Harald Kruger said by the end of next year, BMW will have launched more than 10 new and upgraded electric models, while providing convenient charging services for consumers around the world.

Although Volvo did not set up a stage at the auto show, the group's sub-brand Polestar launched its first electric car, the Polestar 2. As a high-performance electric brand owned by Volvo, Polestar was founded in 2017 and released the hybrid Polestar 1 at GIMS last year. Polestar 2 will begin mass production during the second half of 2019 and is expected to cooperate with Chinese companies such as AutoNavi and iFlytek when entering the Chinese market.

Analysts believe that major automakers have launched their electric vehicles because of new auto emission reduction rules among European Union countries. An agreement was reached in December last year that aims to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of new cars in the EU 37.5 percent by 2030, compared with 2021.

Xinhua