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“The IAA Mobility,” Europe’s largest motor show, began on the 4th (local time) with a media day in Munich, Germany. This event, which changed its name from the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2021, features participation from over 660 companies and will run until the 10th of this month.
At this year’s IAA Mobility, German automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, which have been somewhat passive in the transition to electric cars, are showcasing extensive electric vehicle-related technologies and products. They displayed technologies which can be mass-produced within the next 1 to 2 years, signaling a “counterattack of European cars” in the electric car market, which has been led by companies like Tesla. As the market shifts with the proliferation of electric cars, domestic companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Mobis, who are fiercely competing for leadership in the electric vehicle components sector, also participated in the event.
◇ The Hometown of Internal Combustion Engines Now Embraces Electric Cars
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its electric concept car, the CLA, for the first time at the event. Despite being in the midsize category, this vehicle can travel up to 750 km on a single charge. This represents a 35 percent increase in driving range compared to current electric cars in the same class, making it possible to travel from northern Hamburg to southern Munich in one go. Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-Benz, stated, “We achieved this by significantly increasing energy efficiency, consuming only 12 kWh per 100 km,” and he added, “We will become the pioneer of a whole new class of electric cars.”
BMW unveiled the concept car “Neue Klasse” which features the absence of a traditional driver’s instrument cluster. Instead, vehicle information is displayed on the front windshield. Drivers can customize the screen layout to their preferences and interact with the content displayed on the central screen by dragging it onto the windshield using their fingers. The car is scheduled to go into production in 2025. Volkswagen introduced a low-priced high-performance electric concept car, while Audi showcased the interior design of the Q6 e-tron, featuring a separate display for the passenger seat.
While some automakers such as Hyundai and Toyota chose not to participate in this year’s IAA Mobility, Chinese companies, actively expanding into the European market, have filled the void. The number of Chinese exhibitors has doubled compared to the previous event, with over 40 companies participating. BYD showcased their mid-sized electric SUV, the “Seal U,” set to be launched in Europe this year. MG Motors, which sold 100,000 units in Europe in the first half of this year, displayed their electric sports car, the Cyberster.
◇Samsung, LG, and Other Leading Tech Companies Participate Extensively
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, two leading South Korean IT companies aiming to secure European automakers as customers, also participated in this exhibition. Samsung set up an extensive exhibition space covering 1,224 square meters, which included its Device Solutions (DS) division responsible for semiconductors, as well as affiliated companies like Samsung Display and Samsung SDI.
When entering the Samsung Display booth, images of wolves appeared side by side on LCD and OLED screens. It was a test to compare which display made objects entering the vehicle surroundings more noticeable at night. Next to the displays, there were also flexible and foldable screens designed to fit the interior of vehicles, capturing the attention of visitors. While LG Electronics did not operate a separate exhibition hall, it participated as a sponsor. LG Electronics plans to build a new plant for its joint venture, LG Magna e-Powertrain, in Miskolc, northeastern Hungary, with a floor area of 26,000 square meters by 2025. It will be the company’s first production facility in Europe, where LG will produce key components for electric vehicles, such as drive motors.
Hyundai Mobis showcased its next-generation electric vehicle platform, “e-CCPM,” a vehicle’s underlying structure that combines key electrification technologies such as battery systems with aluminum frames. It is characterized by its ability to be manufactured in different sizes, allowing it to be incorporated into various vehicle types from compact to large. Professor Kim Pil-soo of Daelim University’s Automotive Engineering Department said, “Following the electrification trend of German companies that led the era of internal combustion engines, demand for components such as car electronics is increasing, and the participation of IT companies in the mobility industry will gradually increase.”
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