In addition to the strange and sporty, the Geneva Motor Show hosts its share of green cars and concepts. This current year, everyone from mainstream manufacturers to university teams showed designs built from ultralight components, powered by alternative fuels and otherwise designed around fuel- and emissions-frugal commuting.

The Intrado Concept is built around a carbon fiber frameThe Intrado uses a next-generation hydrogen fuel cell powertrainThe 36-kWh battery can power the motor for up to 373 miles of drivingInside, bright orange contrasts by using a simple cabin emphasizing functional elementsView all

Power cells

Hyundai reveals its fuel cell-powered Intrado concept

Fuel cell concepts have grown into an auto show standard, along with the Geneva Motor Show served as the debut platform for the Hyundai Intrado Concept. The notion car is powered with what Hyundai calls a next-generation hydrogen fuel cell system with a 36- kWh lithium-on battery pack that provides up to 373 miles (600 km) of driving range. The car comes with a simple, streamlined structural and the entire body design that’s meant to optimize weight and aerodynamics. The super-lightweight steel body is stripped of the usual decorative trim, and the interior draws attention to functional elements, for example the carbon frame.

The Nanoflowcell Quant e-Sportlimousine shows a new type of electric powertrain in Geneva

An alternative kind of cell pumps energy through the Nanoflowcell Quant e-Sportlimousine. The radically styled four-seater lays claim to being the very first vehicle powered by a flow cell battery. This battery stores energy in tanks of electrolytic solutions, providing easy refueling and an estimated range of between 373 and 249 miles (400 and 600 km), all while backing a 912-hp, four-motor powertrain. Those four motors can team up to slingshot the driver to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds without capping acceleration until 236 mph (380 km/h).

Each of the claims and numbers about the Quant e-Sportlimousine scream “”we’re, “” and vaporware not so sure Nanoflowcell will actually come through with a testable car, although the Quant certainly provides some interesting food for thought, which is what any good concept car/prototype need to do.

Material world

The Biofore Concept Car brings new materials in the spotlight

Lightweight construction through innovative materials was another popular theme in Geneva. The Biofore Concept Car, a project from Finnish biomaterials company UPM, the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and a few other partners, is among the most interesting examples of this approach. From that point, the partners take off in new directions, replacing oil-based plastics with additional renewable materials, though the carbon fiber chassis is familiar enough. Your body is constructed from UPM Formi biocomposite, a recyclable, cellulose fiber-based composite, while the interior features generous use of UPM Grada thermoformable wood, creating a clean, sustainable cockpit that definitely appears like it originated northern Europe.

The partners say that this construction saves about 331 lb (150 kg) across a similarly sized car using more traditional materials. The car’s 1.2-liter diesel engine is fueled by UPM BioVerno, a wood-based diesel that is believed to cut greenhouse emissions up to 80 percent versus traditional fossil fuels. The car is created to be street legal, along with its biomaterials can be recycled or burned after its lifecycle is over.

The Biomobile is surely an ongoing university-level project in lightweight design and efficient t…

Another university project that looks well beyond the edges of the box in terms of materials is the Biomobile. An ongoing project of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) were only available in 2004, the Biomobile uses natural materials, such as banana and plant fibers, in its construction. It’s powered by a Honda GX25 four-stroke engine, more commonly used in lawn and garden equipment. That engine runs on a biofuel made from organic waste, which it sips at a glacial rate of 1,960 US mpg (.12 L/100 km). As being a 55-lb (25-kg), 9.7 x 2 x 1.8-foot (3 x .6 x .5-m), streamliner-like one-seater, it’s not quite a practical design for your roads, however it is an interesting experiment in design and materials techniques. It has a top speed around 19 mph (30 km/h).

Austria’s Magna Steyr presents the MILA Blue at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show

The MILA Blue concept car from Austria’s Magna Steyr doesn’t stray outside of the box trying to find lightweight materials, relying instead on common materials like aluminum, magnesium and composites. Magna Steyr also cuts out unnecessary material, such as interior plastic trim, and downsizes components, saving some 661 lb (300 kg) over the weight of a typical A-segment vehicle. The concept’s compressed gas hybrid drive emits below 49 g CO2/km.

Electric shock

Could the Pariss Roadster be considered a proper alternative for the old Tesla Roadster?

The Pariss 2013 electric roadster protoype debuted at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, so perhaps it’s only natural that it year’s show brought the Pariss 2014, which offers a similar combination of green driving and electrifying performance as the Tesla Roadster.

The most recent Pariss prototype gets a more powerful 241-hp (180-kW), dual-motor drivetrain that sends the two-seater rolling to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds – more than a second quicker than was advertised on the 2013 prototype. Pariss is still estimating 124 miles (200 km) of range, which can be greater than tripled approximately 435 miles (700 km) with the available 220-lb (100-kg) range extender. A fast-charge system offers battery top-off in as little as an hour. The roadster’s length and wheelbase stay the same, but the 2014 prototype weighs about 110 lb (50 kg) more at 1,764 lb (800 kg). Pariss still doesn’t mention any production dates, but it does list a price of €80,000 euro (US$111,000).

The Subaru Viziv 2 uses a hybrid AWD powertrain

The icy Subaru Viziv concept from the 2013 Geneva show was back in 2014, in the form of the updated Viziv 2. The latest concept SUV gets transformed into four-door format and uses an updated plug-in hybrid AWD system with a 1.6-liter turbo engine, a higher-torque-compatible Lineartronic (CVT) transmission, a front motor and two rear motors. Provided that this is the third iteration of your Viziv concept that we’ve seen in one year’s time, we expect elements of it – or even the whole shebang – to exhibit up in Subaru’s line-up in the future.

The VW Golf GTE is definitely the fifth powertrain alternative in the current Golf line-up

More than just an idea car or an exotic by using a “”TBA”” release date, the Volkswagen Golf GTE revealed in Geneva is a real production car. The model’s plug-in hybrid drive adds a fifth powertrain option to the Golf series, which also has gas, diesel, natural gas and electric models. The sporty hybrid hatch gets up to 31 miles (50 km) of all-electric range and 584 total miles (940 km) of total range, courtesy of its plug-in powertrain with 148-hp 1.4-liter turbo TSI engine and 101-hp electric motor. The 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery charges in 2.5 to 3.5 hours. The plug-in Golf earns its “”GT”” letters with a 7.6-second -62 mph time and 135 mph (217 km/h) top speed.