COVID-19 Hits Motor Shows Hard... Emergency Business Plans in the Car Industry

Reporter Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has cast a red light on the hosting of various motor shows. As a result, the automotive industry, which had planned to make major new car announcements through motor shows, is inevitably facing schedule disruptions and is at risk of having to revise its business plans.

According to the automotive industry on the 24th, the Beijing Motor Show, which was scheduled to be held in Beijing, China from April 21 to 30, has been postponed indefinitely due to the impact of COVID-19.

Accordingly, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors, which had planned to announce new cars this year and re-enter the Chinese market, are inevitably facing setbacks in their plans.

The Geneva Motor Show, scheduled to open on the 5th of next month, is currently planned to proceed as scheduled. Hyundai will showcase the i20, and Kia will present the 4th generation new Sorento at this event. However, since the situation could change at any time, each company is closely monitoring developments. An industry official said, "In the case of Switzerland, the impact of COVID-19 is not significant, and the organizers are strongly committed to holding the event," adding, "Therefore, domestic companies are also observing the progress."

However, even if the motor show is held, it is expected that the scale will be reduced compared to previous years. It is already known that global automakers such as Ford, Nissan, and Jaguar Land Rover have expressed their intention not to participate.

Events held domestically are also inevitably facing disruptions. The Busan Motor Show, scheduled to be held at BEXCO in Busan from May 28 to June 7, has received participation applications from domestic companies including Hyundai, Kia, GM Korea, and Renault Samsung Motors. Only three foreign brands?BMW, Mini, and Cadillac?have expressed their intention to participate.

Considering that last year, 11 foreign brands including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Toyota participated, this is a significant decrease.

Other automotive events are equally uncertain. The 'Hydrogen Mobility+ Show,' scheduled to be held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on the 18th of next month, also faces an uncertain schedule.

Additionally, various events such as 'EV Trend Korea,' scheduled for April 2, are expected to be affected. An industry official said, "Automotive events typically involve large numbers of attendees," adding, "Safety is more important than the success of the event, so it is difficult to predict how future schedules will unfold."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.