The Los Angeles Auto Show opens to the public today. It comes at an interesting time; the market for cars in the U.S. has rebounded and the industry is back on its feet, even as the broader economic recovery continues to unfold at a painfully slow pace. In the days before the general public gets in the doors, Jessica Caldwell has already logged a dozen hours at the auto show. She’s analyst from the car web site Edmunds.com.

What trends does she see at the L.A. Auto Show this year?

“I think what’s interesting about Los Angeles Auto Show is that it usually focuses on fuel efficiency, green cars. What was interesting this year was that green cars came in the package of very small cars. Both Fiat and Chevrolet came out with new electric vehicles in that form. Ford also had a small car, but it was performance-oriented. So I think even though we’re focusing on green, there’s also a need for performance in these smaller cars,” says Caldwell.

Caldwell says electric vehicles have had a tough time over the past few years because of price and infrastructure, like finding a place to plug-in your car.