When is a motor show not a motor show
his week marks the beginning of Germany's biennial Internationale Automobil Austellung - or International Motor Show.Traditionally,
it is a chance for the country to parade the enduring strength of its
own car industry, while welcoming the biggest brands from around the
world.But this year's event, held in the Bavarian city of Munich, promises to be very different.And
that is not just because it is taking place as the pandemic still rages
and the car industry appears to be an increasingly-tempting target for
politicians keen to show off their environmental credentials.Changing gearsFor
a start, this year's show won't just be about cars. Organiser, the
German Automotive Industry Association, insists the focus is instead
being placed on 'climate neutral mobility'. The
city of Munich itself will open up roads and public spaces to allow
visitors to try out new concepts in sustainable transport. And cycling
brands such as Specialized, Scott and Canyon will take their place in
the exhibition halls alongside the likes of Porsche and Mercedes.When
the Covid pandemic hit early last year, major international trade fairs
such as the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the Geneva
International Motor Show were cancelled at short notice. Such
events, which brought together thousands of people from all around the
world, were simply untenable during a period of lockdowns, closed
borders and quarantine restrictions.Munich
is the first attempt to re-establish a high-profile motor show in
Europe. Indeed, it is the first major international event in Germany
since the country eased its lockdown restrictions. But making a success of it won't be easy.That's
because even before the pandemic, the future of the traditional auto
industry showcase was already hanging in the balance.The
last IAA was held in 2019. Back then, it was the Frankfurt Motor Show,
an event held on a grand scale. Each of the three major German
manufacturers had a giant pavilion pretty much to themselves. Further
vast halls housed companies from across the globe - all with their
no-expense-spared displays of four-wheeled fashion.But
frankly, for anyone who attended, the event was a form of purgatory.
The show was simply too big. It took 20 minutes simply to get from one
end of the showground to the other. It was always hot, stuffy and very
noisy - leaving attendees, like myself, with a thumping headache and impressive blisters.But
more importantly, it was becoming far too expensive. A large stand at
any of the international auto shows costs millions - and many of the
major manufacturers have decided it's not worth the money. Big name
absences became commonplace, both at Frankfurt and at the Paris Motor
Show.By
2019, after an event that was - embarrassingly - disrupted by climate
activists, the organisers decided it was time for a change. They ditched
Frankfurt, which had hosted the show since the 1950s, and head to a new
city. Munich, on the banks of the Isar river, was chosen - but then
came Covid. Running on emptyThe
pandemic wreaked havoc within a motor industry that was already
grappling with huge change. Governments, especially those in Europe,
have been setting ambitious deadlines for eliminating the sale of new
petrol and diesel cars. Emissions limits have been cut right back, and
manufacturers have been rushing to develop electric vehicles. At the
same time, the pressure is on to make cars ever more connected, and ever
more automated. And all of that comes at a hefty price.Manufacturers
were also facing mounting bills as a result of the pandemic. Initially,
they were forced to close factories and dealerships; then disruptions
to the supply chain made it hard to recover lost ground.What
is happening in Munich this week, then, is an attempt to reinvent the
motor show itself, at a time when many within the industry are
questioning whether such events are luxuries they can no longer afford."Put
it this way", one executive recently told me, "if you've already set
aside several million Euros to attend a show, then it's easy to get the
board to sign off on it. But if that budget has been diverted elsewhere,
it's very difficult to get it back".As
a result, in Munich, many of the World's largest carmakers will be
conspicuous by their absence. There will be no General Motors, no Ford,
no Toyota, and no Stellantis, which makes Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall,
Fiat and Alfa Romeo vehicles, among others. Instead,
the line-up is dominated by the three big German makes, Volkswagen,
Daimler-Benz and BMW. They'll be joined by Renault, Hyundai, the Chinese
manufacturer Great Wall, and the luxury electric vehicle specialist
Polestar.But
the organisers insist this is not a problem. The focus of the show has
been changed dramatically, from a petrolhead's dream of the latest,
sleekest and fastest four-wheeled machinery, to something designed to
encompass all aspects of mobility - with tech companies, startups and
bicycle manufacturers also being invited in."Mobility
is one of society's foremost topics," explains Hildegard Mueller, the
President of the German Automotive Industry Association"People
all over the world are seeking better solutions to their mobility
needs. The main focus will be solutions on the path to climate
neutrality".But
some things will not change. The manufacturers who are at the show are
still planning to unveil plenty of new cars, though many of them will be
electric; and we will still see plenty of futuristic 'concepts',
fantasy cars created from the fevered imaginations of engineers given a
licence to think big thoughts about the future.What's the point of concept cars?Why electric cars will take over sooner than you thinkBut
the thing we're likely to hear less of this time is the 'sharing
economy'. A few years ago, auto industry executives were convinced that
fewer and fewer people would be buying private cars. Shared-use models
would be all the rage, with people only using cars when they needed
them.That
idea hasn't wholly gone away - the rush to develop and commercialise
self-driving taxis is still on, for example - but there's an acceptance
too that the pandemic has made people aware that private transport does
still retain some distinct advantages.Individual mobility has suddenly become a lot more valuable.
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