THE IIA BRISTLES WITH ELECTRIC ENERGY

FIRST SHOW SINCE COVID: Premier German motor show has now found a new home in Munich

By Ali Mphaki

(In Munich via Satellite)

Munich is the place to be as the IAA Mobility 2021 wounds up Sunday. Like pilgrims to Mecca the motor industry, well almost all the manufacturers, this week have been camping on Bavaria about 250 miles northwards of Munich to showcase their future products, their focus inevitably on electrification and alternative transport including e-bikes.

Formerly known as the Frankfurt Motor Show where it was held for the past 50 years, the IAA (German for International Automobile Exposition), is the first major trade show to open its gates to the public since Covid and was held under strict regulations with all visitors asked to produce a vaccination passport and to wear a mask all the time etc.

Seemingly unimpressed by the e-bikes and electric vehicles on show, environmental activists could not miss an opportunity to make their case for cleaner emissions, this time protesting by immersing themselves in a lake opposite the conference center where the show is being held.

With German Chancellor Angela Merkel in tow, and while accusing motor manufacturers for not switching to electric cars fast enough, some of the toyi-toying brigade were opposed to the very idea of people using cars calling for all of us to be Johnnie Walkers. Thixo wase George Gogh!

But it was inside the conference hall where there was most activity especially at the BMW stall, where visitors were drawn like magnet to what the German manufacturer calls BMW I Vision Circular Concept.

This is BMW’s long-range look at what a BMW circa 2040 would be like: a subcompact hatchback, or one-box, design of about 160 inches in length but still spacious inside because the electric motor doesn’t take up much space. Circular” means circle of life for the components, 100% recyclable, even the solid-state battery (using a solid electrolyte with little or no explosion risk). The body skin is aluminum, anodized not painted.

Some of the show highlights:

•     Mercedes-Benz EQB SUV – a wheel-drive with two or three rows of seats.

•     The Volkswagen ID.Life – a nicely styled electric crossover smaller than the ID.4 compact crossover with first US shipments in 2025.

•     Audi Grandsphere Concept – Long, low and sleek with a steering wheel that retracts into the wrapround dashboard suggesting full self-driving.

•                Smart Concept #1 – Bigger and on par with Mini Countryman, Smart is back.