It’s almost inevitable – Beijing Motor Show has been postponed to September
The Beijing Motor Show which was originally supposed to begin this month has been postponed by 5 months due to Covid 19
It has been only 4 months since the year has started, and the Auto Industry throughout the world has been hit by a major slump. Supply lines, production, sales, and motor shows, all of them have been strongly impacted due to the Coronavirus crisis.
Coronavirus is an incredibly contagious disease whose cure is currently unknown and the only way to deal with this disease is by curbing its spread and this has been done via imposing lockdowns. These lockdowns have had negative ramifications on the present and the future of the Auto Industry and other industries of the world.
Till now, the Geneva, Detroit, Chicago Auto Shows have been cancelled,the New York International Auto Show and June’s 2020 Goodwood Festival of Speed stand postponed. It is no surprise that the Beijing Motor Show which was to begin on the 21st of this month, has now been postponed to September.
The Beijing Auto Show will now begin on the 26th of September, and end on October 6th. The fact that the organisers of the show chose to postpone the event and not cancel it is brave, and hopeful. They believe that the disease could be curbed and not be a reason of concern, however, the same can not be expected from the motor brands who will be coming into China to be a part of the show.
China is unofficially the origin of the Covid 19, and this disease has infected 13,59,398 people and has led to 75,945 deaths. The authorities in China claim that the disease has been controlled, and yet reports suggest that they have had 951 new cases. Furthermore there are credible reasons to doubt the information that is being provided by the Communist Party Of China.
I would not be surprised if some motor brands decided to pull out of the event, as it is still not clear whether it is completely safe to be in China and secondly, being a part of these shows can be quite expensive,as paying for stands, media events, transport can be quite hefty, and such expenditures cannot be justified during a time when a financial slump has hit the world.
Car brands like Ford, Chrysler, BMW and Fiat have started production in China and China will surely be using this to prove that life is begin to resume in their homeland, and that the pandemic has been dealt with.
China will have to find ways to earn the trust of the world after the coronavirus debacle, furthermore, they will have to inculcate key strong measures to make sure that a second wave of Covid 19 does not take place. Only if they do this, will there be a chance for international motor brands to consider attending the Beijing Auto Show.
It is entirely possible that some motor brands would sit out of the Beijing Auto Show, and instead make use of ‘live streaming’ which is wildly popular in current times,which is highly convenient and affordable for the auto brand and the viewer.
After the cancellation of the Geneva Auto Show, Volkswagen recreated their booth via technology and showcased their vehicles in a virtual world platform. Such a platform not only saves money, but is more sensible, and I believe in the coming times, this platform could replace Auto Shows completely.
The spread of Coronavirus is presently spreading rapidly in the world, and many Governments have called upon the motor brands to assist with the manufacture of medical equipment. In a time like this, it is unlikely that motor brands will be focusing preparing themselves for an Auto Show. We can only hope, that in the coming months the curve of Covid 19 flattens and a more complete control is gained over Coronavirus. If this is done, then it is possible for motor brands to attend Auto Shows such as the Beijing Auto Show.
