International Auto Show in Germany Highlights Trends in Automotive Fashion

A long-awaited event for the entire world: the International Motor Show has opened in Germany.

AI-powered cars, electric vehicles, smart garage technology and more. Manufacturers have brought some genuine surprises to the table. For the first time, the show is being held in Munich rather than its traditional home in Frankfurt am Main.

This marks the first time in Munich, and also the first time the show has taken place during a pandemic. Some brands chose to skip the event entirely, opting instead for remote and online presentations, but plenty of major reveals still made it onto the show floor.

Masks are required everywhere, alongside entry testing and visitor limits, but otherwise, the atmosphere feels largely familiar: loud music and high-energy premieres throughout. Electric vehicles dominate this year’s show, with even Mercedes’ famously fuel-hungry G-Class now needing a plug.

One standout debut features a body-on-frame construction with independent front suspension, and each of its four wheels is driven by its own electric motor. Power figures haven’t been officially announced yet, and no details on battery specifications have been released either, though experts are estimating a possible range of around 770 kilometers on a single charge.

The industry continues to grapple with resource shortages, particularly around microchips, with supply issues expected to persist until 2023.

On the battery front, BMW has placed an order reportedly worth an astronomical 20 billion euros. The German automaker brought two notable vehicles to the show: an iX5 with a hydrogen-powered engine and a fully electric all-wheel-drive iX crossover.