Car Manufacturers and Dealers are to present their new models on the internet especially online news platforms following the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show because of the coronavirus epidemic.
The announcement came after the Swiss government banned all gatherings of more than 1,000 people, forcing the show’s organisers to cancel.
According to Agency Reports, BMW was to have marked the world premiere in Geneva of its i4 concept car, a fully electric Gran Coupe that will roll off the production line in Munich 2021, in direct competition with Tesla.
BMW Chief Executive Oliver Zipse is now to present the vehicle at a live-streamed digital news conference from the BMW research centre in Munich.
Volkswagen subsidiary Audi had been planning to launch its A3 Sportback and to present two new models of its large fully electric e-tron, the e-tron S and the e-tron S Sportback.
This will now take place virtually at company headquarters at Ingolstadt in Bavaria.
An online premiere would be broadcast from the Audi Media Center as well as on Audi’s social media channels on March 3, the company said.
Daimler’s Mercedes put out a statement to the effect that its news conference originally planned for Geneva on Tuesday would be shared digitally.
Mercedes is to present its redesigned E Class cars and a new plug-in hybrid compact at a date still to be set.
Geneva show boss Maurice Turrettini expressed regret at the large losses incurred by exhibitors who had put money into their Geneva presentation.
Meanwhile, disruption in supplies due to the coronavirus outbreak in China has hit India domestic forging industry along with automobile and auto component manufacturing sectors.
The domestic automobile industry, which has been riding through the worst slump in two decades, is likely to be negatively impacted and its supply chain disrupted if the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in China and South-East Asia persists longer, rating agency Icra had said last week.
“The disruption caused by coronavirus has hit the automotive industry and thus also affected the automotive component and forging industries,” AIFI said in a statement.
China is one of the leading suppliers of auto components in India, accounting for 27 per cent of the total exports, and the slowing supply of components manufactured there would result in shortage of stocks here, it said.
