Three trends at the IAA Motor Show 2011 in Frankfurt
The biggest Motor Show in Europe has opened its doors and this for the 64th time. The IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt is traditionally a melting pot of new little, cosy vehicles, futuristic and higtech concept cars, sustainable and eco-friendly powertrains on wheels and the most beautiful, biggest and exclusive cars you could wish to dream of. The 11 halls give the visitor a vast overview of tomorrow's automotive mobility. Three trends became very clear during our visit a few days ago.
1. More than ever the road to efficient mobility has found its place at the heart of the Motor Show. Almost every car manufacturer proposes mobility solutions with sustainable engines, alternative powertrains and low CO2-emissions. Some of them are even showing mobility services such as battery installation and leasing or a multi-modal mobility offering with bikes and scooters alongside the car. Talking to the car manufacturers they confirm that sustainability is one of the major key drivers impacting the buyer’s wallet. and they are also convinced that in the near future more and more people will opt for the possibility of using a car when needed instead of owning a car. The first car sharing schemes are already on the market. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to mean that there will be less cars sold, but probably that they will be sold to other parties and put on the road in other configurations.
2. The second trend is the connectivity between the driver, the car and the environment. Cars have come to be comfortable places where as driver or a passenger you can do things while going from A to B. Internet, wifi, iPad, Bluetooth, integrated e-call and so on are features that are becoming ready to be installed as standard in future models. And on top of this the car itself is able to communicate with the environment and in doing so the car can act proactively to certain situations, which improves road safety and decreases hidden costs.
These 2 trends have been on the agenda of the international fleet community for some years. So it’s good to see that they are becoming reality for today and tomorrow. The good news is also that the car manufacturers are creating these low emission, future mobility and highly connective cars without compromising comfort or design. So as a fleet driver you don’t have to worry that by choosing the car of tomorrow you will be laughed at because of its look and image.
3. “The end of each crisis is the start of a new one.” A saying that we hope won’t come true but that we have to keep in mind. It’s a good year for the car industry in Europe. Figures are up, after the difficult period of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, but you can still feel the uncertainty regarding the future. Although most car manufacturers are positive about the future, they realize that the current stock exchange problems and the economic malaise in various regions could have an influence on the production and sales of cars in the near future. The only remedy is differentiation. The manufacturers that have a large range of models and services, combined with a really international network have to fear the less as they can cover possible losses in one country by profits in other countries.
|
Registration 
