IAA 2021 in Munich: Between fear and hope

Now everyone is hoping that the new concept with the triad of downtown events, Messe Riem and Blue Lane will be well received by visitors. The organizer VDA can hardly assume that it was not courageous in the new edition of the IAA 2021. It will be difficult for children to flatten their noses on the cars of the future, at least at the exhibition center in Munich-Riem, because the real product innovations are limited. The majority of the vehicles have already been presented – real or virtual – in the past few months. However, the bigger problem is that too many car manufacturers are no longer represented at the IAA in 2021. Not only are the Japanese manufacturers with brands such as Mazda, Toyota, Subaru, Daihatsu, Nissan, Lexus or Mitsubishi missing, but also the entire Stellantis group. Thus, neither Opel, nor Citroen, DS, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep or Peugeot are represented at the fair. In any case, luxury and sports car brands Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Bugatti and Rimac have long since given up.

While Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo or the Americans with their numerous manufacturers also avoid the trade fair in Munich, some Chinese have come to Munich for the first time with brands such as Xpeng, Ora, Great Wall or Wey. A number of manufacturers are not represented at the fair itself, but in the city center with their own brand worlds. Here, for example, Audi and Porsche also show their innovations that are missing at the fair itself. Mercedes shows more than other companies at the IAA. The fact that the new EQE, Maybach EQS, G-Class and AMG GT models are all electrically powered is also reflected in other exhibition stands of the competition. A novelty without an electric drive? Inconceivable. BMW is relying entirely on its new i4 and iX electric models and with the I Vision Circular study shows that a car can also be in harmony with nature and recycling. “Dealing with CO2 emissions has become a central assessment factor for business activities. The decisive currency for climate protection is: How much can we reduce the CO2 footprint of vehicles over their entire life cycle?”, Says BMW CEO Oliver Zipse . Volkswagen is also playing the auto show on the Isar on the back burner. The study by the ID. Life as an entry-level crossover of the year 2025 – that was it. Skoda or Cupra – none of them. At the insistence of CEO Luca de Meo, Renault and Dacia jumped on the fair procession and presented the novelties of the electric Renault Megane and the practical Dacia Jogger as an affordable entry-level model and felt the only new model without a plug.

Hyundai is also one of the few Asian manufacturers to rely on the IAA 2021 and of course with the topic of sustainability. “As part of the company’s” Progress for Humanity “vision, Hyundai Motor is committed to doing what’s right for the environment,” said Jaehoon Chang, president of Hyundai Motor Company. “Hyundai Motor is committed to making its products and operations worldwide climate neutral by 2045. At the same time, we are investing in cleaner modes of transport and greener energy solutions to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” From 2035, the Koreans no longer want to sell combustion models in Europe.

After trade fairs such as the International Motor Show have largely lost their media relevance as a pacemaker for innovations, especially in Europe, everyone is now looking forward to the public days. The Open Spaces in Munich city center will open until September 12th and this is where the future of the IAA will be decided, because here the citizens vote with their feet and can look at the innovations of the respective manufacturers without having to buy a trade fair ticket. And if you want to dive even deeper, you can do so with test drives on and off the Blue Lane, which connects the exhibition center on the A94 motorway in the east of the city and the other venues in the city.

After the pandemic made planning and implementation of the IAA 2021 much more difficult, at least the weather is playing along after the moderate summer. The only uncertainty factor that remains are the numerous disruptive actions that many left-wing groups have planned to demonstrate against the IAA. Organizers, exhibitors and the city of Munich have been warned, because more than 4,500 additional police officers were ordered to Munich specifically to protect the trade fair and event locations in order to protect the events and locations. This does not even include the normal Munich police force and thousands of private security personnel who protect exhibition stands, exhibition centers and venues for a week. Who would have thought that a car show in Germany had to be protected from disruptors in such a way. Visitors to the trade fair from abroad in particular find it difficult to understand why the mood in Germany is so hostile to one of its own core industries.

This is one of the reasons why the new cars at the fair no longer play a real main role in the anticipatory obedience to the loud rumbling critics themselves. Where previously design, performance and emotions in sheet metal and chrome set the tone, most exhibition stands are about sustainability, ecologically correct behavior, alternative drives or intelligent mobility concepts. It remains to be seen whether the more than 70 bicycle manufacturers in one of the halls will enjoy great demand from the public and whether the providers of pedelecs or car sharing will be satisfied with the IAA 2021. There should definitely be at least a second edition of the IAA in Munich in 2023. Then hopefully without the ongoing corona pandemic, face mask and distances to products and other visitors. Because somehow a trade fair lives from the crowd at the real highlights and both are missing in 2021.