German Motor Show is Working Towards a Climate-Friendly Image

The German auto show is working towards a climate-friendly image. Germany's biggest auto show, taking place in Munich this week, is no longer just about cars.

The first major motor industry event worldwide since the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's IAA show aims to be about mobility in general, from bikes to electric scooters and cars. Hildegard Müller, president of the industry association VDA, which organizes the biennial fair, said at a pre-event press conference last week, "Climate-friendly engines and the digital connection of transport; that's what this fair is about. The purpose of climate protection is our guide." Moving from Frankfurt to Munich this year, the "Mobility of the Future"-themed fair is very different from its usual format, where the biggest and most powerful cars on the market are showcased. The growing concern over the pandemic and climate change cast a disturbing shadow on the event, which has been under pressure from declining attendance numbers in previous years. Only 560,000 people attended the fair in 2019 compared to 930,000 exhibitors in 2015. Leading names of the industry such as Toyota, Land Rover, Stellantis, German brand Opel and Ferrari decided not to attend the fair. Still, cars remained dominant as construction workers scrambled on Sunday to set up the remaining exhibition stands before Tuesday's official opening. Compared to a lone CANYON e-bike tent, the much larger, brighter automaker stands from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, MINI and others were noticeably outnumbered. Marion Tiemann, transportation expert at Greenpeace Germany, said "Adding 'mobility' to the name of the event and promoting e-models is not going to work as long as they continue to sell mainly internal combustion engines." Environmental groups like Friends of the Earth Germany and Greenpeace are planning a big demonstration Saturday against the auto industry and for a faster transition to sustainable mobility. Activist organization Sand im Getriebe ("Sand in Gears"), which smashed 40 luxury vehicles at a dealership near Frankfurt before the last IAA in 2019, pledged "mass civil disobedience" at this year's event. Up to 4,500 police will be on the scene during the demonstration, which ends next Sunday and is the largest police presence in Munich in 20 years.