Glitzy, sporty, fast, small, and above all green. That’s the theme at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show that’s taking place this week. It’s one of the biggest and most important auto shows in the world, and it’s the place where carmakers premiere their latest and best models….and that’s just what they’ve done. Major automakers like Daimler, Ford, VW, Renault, and BMW are all trying to one-up each other to see who has the coolest and best eco-friendly car out there.

Audi, for example, showed off it’s new Urban Concept – in the picture you see above. It’s a futuristic example of what Audi calls the perfect car for congested city living. It’s extremely light-weight, completely electric and looks, well, cool.

VW showed off a car that looked very very similar in this picture below…

It’s called the “Nils” and is also electric, lightweight and a car of the future. VW unveiled another electric car that’s actually intended to hit the roads in the very near future: the Up.

The Up is set to hit production (and roads in Europe) by next year, and in Germany it would cost around 9,000 Euros.

And of course BMW was in on the competition too. The carmaker showed off the first roadsters in its “i” sub-brand series, the i3 and i8. The picture you see here is the i8, an electric sports car that’s been getting a lot of attention for its stylish, sporty look and it’s eco-friendly technology.

And that’s just scratching the surface! The Frankfurt Auto Show truly has some of the best and most innovative green technology ever in the auto industry – and those cars of the future might be drawing ever closer to the present…

Germany is going electric in a big way. The government announced this week that it’s pouring 1 billion Euros in subsidies over the next two years to help develop the electric car industry.

Chancellor Angela Merkel announced she wants the country to become the world leader in electromobility with a million electric cars zooming around the roads in Germany by the year 2020.

And what’s more, the government is thinking about creating incentives for people who buy electric cars, like special parking and fast lanes as well as tax breaks. And it looks like the big carmakers will step up to the challenge. BMW is planning to release its an all-electric urban car – called the ActiveE – by 2013, and Audi, too, plans to unveil a series of electric cars.

Is electromobility the future of the auto industry? How long will it take for electric cars to dominate the roads? Tell us what you think!