Detroit Motor Show Canceled Due to COVID-19... "To Be Held in June Next Year"

A view of the COVID-19 drive-through testing site installed in Detroit, Michigan, USA [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Detroit Motor Show in the United States, one of the world's three major motor shows, has been canceled due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The cancellation of the Detroit Motor Show, the largest new car unveiling event in North America, is raising concerns about the automotive industry's setbacks.

According to foreign media such as CNBC, on the 28th (local time), the Detroit Motor Show organizing committee announced the cancellation of the Detroit Motor Show, which was scheduled to be held on June 7 this year. The event was canceled after the federal government decided to use the Detroit TCF Center, the scheduled venue for the Detroit Motor Show, as a temporary COVID-19 hospital. Although there are about two months left until the motor show, it requires a significant amount of time to set up booths and exhibition equipment for dozens of automobile companies, making it impossible to hold the event this year.

Michigan, where Detroit is located, has reported 4,650 COVID-19 infections and 111 deaths. Earlier, the New York Motor Show postponed its event scheduled for April to August. The Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, the venue for the New York Motor Show, is currently being used as a temporary COVID-19 hospital with 1,000 beds.

The Detroit Motor Show organizing committee stated that the event is planned to resume in June next year. The Detroit Motor Show, the largest new car unveiling event in North America, was held every January until last year. It is one of the biggest annual events in the automotive industry, where automakers showcase their most important new cars of the year. Last year, about 30 new car models were introduced, attracting over 770,000 visitors. Due to the cancellation of the Detroit Motor Show, automakers who planned to unveil new cars this year have lost their stage for new car launches, and many business meetings scheduled to be held alongside the event have also been canceled, which is expected to cause significant damage to the automotive industry.