FRANKFURT AUTO SHOW PREVIEW: Charging into an electric future

Volkswagen will use the Frankfurt auto show to take a giant step into the unknown with the launch of the ID.3, the first car on its mass-market electric vehicle platform.

VW has cleared the decks for the event, which starts Sept. 10, even delaying the reveal of the redesigned Golf as part of its $33 billion gamble on the MEB architecture.

Two other vehicles are well placed to steal the ID.3's limelight. Porsche will remove the last shred of disguise from its Taycan electric sedan, the first real rival to the Tesla Model S. And Land Rover will unveil the new Defender, a replacement for its iconic off-roader that was produced for 67 years.

All three have had long gestation periods, meaning their reveals will generate welcome excitement for a show that has suffered the loss of several key automakers this year. None of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' brands will be there, nor will Nissan, Toyota, Kia, Volvo or Mazda.

France's Peugeot and Citroen also are taking a pass. Ford will be there after missing a string of European shows, but its stand will be a muted affair.

Electrification is the big theme. Mercedes-Benz's stand will feature an electric concept, a new electric minivan and a host of plug-in hybrids.

Hyundai will showcase a retro-themed electric coupe concept, while Honda will borrow historical design cues for its E electric minicar, which will be revealed in production form.

Even Lamborghini is embracing electrification for the first time with a low-volume hybrid supercar.

The luxury brand's star car, the AI:Trail, is an electric crossover concept that becomes the latest in a series exploring how autonomous technology might affect future design.

Also on the stand will be the new RS6 performance version of the A6 wagon with a 591-hp twin-turbo-powered V-8 engine, already confirmed for the U.S. It heads what Audi describes as a new wave of RS products.

Making their first auto show appearances will be the X6 crossover coupe and the four-door Gran Coupe version of the 8-series car. In addition, the Vision M Next hybrid supercar concept will appear. BMW has been tight-lipped on reveals, but reports suggest we might see a concept previewing the next 4-series coupe. Also taking a bow will be BMW's new CEO, Oliver Zipse.

Ferrari is skipping the show, but will reveal new cars at an event at its Maranello headquarters in Italy the day before Frankfurt opens. Expected are a convertible version of its 812 Superfast front-engine coupe as well as a surprise derivative of an existing car.

Ford returns to the European show circuit after an absence of over a year to focus on its new electrified vehicles, including a plug-in hybrid version of the new Escape compact crossover and the new Puma subcompact crossover in mild-hybrid form.

The production version of the long-awaited Honda E electric minicar will be unveiled after a long tease via two concepts, the first two years ago. Technology includes five screens in a row across the dashboard.

Hyundai takes inspiration from its first home-grown car, the 1976 Pony, for a small EV coupe concept called the 45 that could hint at a future car for urban areas. An early teaser shot of the car's rear reveals an angular, pared-down approach to design, enhanced by decorative rear matrix-style lighting. Also on the stand will be an electric race car "heralding a new era of motorsport for the company," Hyundai says.

Volkswagen Group's supercar brand comes to Frankfurt with a limited-edition sports car that will reportedly debut hybrid power for the first time within the brand.

The new Defender off-roader will strongly rival the VW ID.3 and Porsche Taycan for Frankfurt headliner status as Land Rover replaces the iconic model it canceled in 2016. A series of leaks and teases tell us it will available in three body lengths and four personalization options ranging in looks from urban cool to off-road beefy. Engines will include a new six-cylinder diesel that's coming to the U.S.

Mercedes is another making battery power its show theme, via its EQ electrified subbrand. The future is explored via an EQ-badged concept, while new product is covered by an electric version of its V-class minivan, called EQV. Key models in its compact car range, including the A-class sedan, are shown with plug-in hybrid versions. Also making its debut is the second-generation GLE Coupe crossover, a rival to the BMW X6, and the new GLB compact crossover.

The press has seen the Mini Electric, but this is the hatchback's first show appearance.

The debut of the Taycan coincides with the start of sales. The four-door rival to the Tesla Model S has prompted some 30,000 buyers to place deposits as interest grows in the first production electric car to use an 800-volt system, which promises faster charging and sustained performance driving.

The spotlight is on the ID.3 compact hatchback, the first car on VW's new MEB platform for electric vehicles and likely the biggest seller. Such is its significance, VW has said it expects the car to rival the Golf and Beetle in terms of strategic importance for the brand. Reports say VW could also use the event to reveal an MEB electric concept slotted below the ID.3.