At the Geneva Motor Show, where hundreds of cars — big and fast, small and slow — are on display, the concept of going green is taking root in ways that automakers hope will ensure less pollution but more purchases.

German carmakers, sometimes criticized for their larger, more gas-consuming vehicles, took the opportunity to highlight their involvement developing hybrid engines and show off emission control technology.

DaimlerChrysler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit put its BLUETEC technology on prime view, detailing how a 170-horsepower engine can be powered with just 5.5 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers, in part because of energy management techniques.

BMW AG and DaimlerChrysler have linked up to work on new engine technology by developing hybrid engine components. Thomas Weber, an executive board member with DaimlerChrysler, said the Mercedes-Benz unit is set to launch its first hybrid car in 2009. “We’ll launch a hybrid model for our Dodge brand in 2008, and the first Mercedes-Benz brand hybrid will come in 2009,” he told reporters, but did not specify which models they would be.

BMW also pointed to its involvement with General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler in working on new advanced hybrid engines and its own work on hydrogen power, which is nevertheless still a long way from being made available to buyers.

“BMW has been leading the way regarding efficient diesel engines for many years,” BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer said Monday. Diesel engines produce less CO2 emissions, but contribute more nitrates, which are harmful to the environment. Hybrid engines, which derive their power from an electric motor as well as a gas-power transmission, produce less CO2 and less nitrates.

As it moves to combat global warming, the European Union has set a goal of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer per vehicle by 2012, down from around 163 grams per kilometer on average now.

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