[Beijing Diary] The Era of the Big 5 Motor Shows is Over... Beijing, China Becomes the 'One-Top Stage'

5 Major Motor Shows in Geneva with 6 Automakers Participating
Over 80 Companies Gather in Beijing for New Car Competition
196 Conferences Held Over Two Days

The Beijing International Automobile Exhibition (Beijing Motor Show), which opened on the 25th, was truly a scene reminiscent of an 'electric vehicle war.' More than 80 automakers participated, holding 196 conferences over just two days until the 26th, and 117 models were unveiled to the world for the first time.

Most of the well-known global companies were listed among the participants. From Mercedes-Benz, BMW and MINI, Audi to Volkswagen, Toyota·Lexus, Honda, Nissan·Infiniti, GM, Ford·Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini, all made a full appearance. South Korea's Hyundai and Kia set up three booths: Beijing Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. While global leading companies had been avoiding offline motor shows, judging that the promotional effect was not cost-effective, Beijing completely 'reversed' this trend.

A crowd gathered in front of the BYD booth at the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition (Beijing Motor Show), which opened on the 25th at the Shunyi Hall of the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. There was not even enough space to stand, and visitors overflowed to the Kia booth located opposite BYD, watching the scene. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)

The scale of the event can be better understood through numbers. At the Geneva International Motor Show held in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 26 (local time) to March 3, only six automakers participated (Renault, Dacia, MG, BYD, Isuzu, Lucid). The top three automakers?Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai?did not open booths. The Geneva Motor Show is one of the industry's major events, considered among the 'Big Five Motor Shows' along with Detroit (USA), Frankfurt (Germany), Paris (France), and Tokyo (Japan).

The Detroit Motor Show, which boasted 70 years of tradition as the 'largest in North America,' barely maintained its presence last year by rebranding as IAA Mobility and holding the event in Munich, Germany, with a focus on software (SW). The 2022 Paris Motor Show shortened its usual two-week exhibition period to five days and reduced the venue area to half of its original size. Only six automakers participated in the Paris Motor Show: Peugeot, Renault, Jeep, BYD, Changcheng, and VinFast. The glory of the 'Big Five Motor Shows' has become a thing of the past, and now the reality is that their survival is in question.

A short performance is taking place at the Kia booth at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Beijing Motor Show), which opened on the 25th at the Shunyi Hall of the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. Kia prepared a musical-style showcase depicting the purchase process of the EV5 by young consumers. (Photo by Hyunjung Kim)

The fact that companies that were lukewarm about traditional strongholds rushed to Beijing shows the tectonic shifts that have occurred in the industry in recent years. Global automobile demand has completely shifted toward new energy, and China has secured its position in the related market, from automakers to key components such as batteries. Last year, 8.41 million electric vehicles were sold in China, accounting for nearly 60% of global electric vehicle sales. This year, sales are expected to increase by more than 18% compared to last year, approaching 10 million electric vehicles. It is a market where both supply and demand are well established.

In that sense, it is encouraging that Hyundai Motor Group sent as many as 1,200 employees to the site to observe the situation firsthand. The puzzling marketing and new car launch timing shown by Korea’s representative automaker in the Chinese market so far can be speculated to be due to some parts of the organization not fully understanding China’s current situation. Although the time was short, within ten days, witnessing China’s rise in electric vehicles and the world’s attention to it with one’s own eyes is a valuable experience. We look forward to Hyundai’s success in the Chinese market, which cannot be abandoned, given up, or neglected, especially in the new energy vehicle sector.