The Geneva Motor Show is back, but in a smaller version

After four years of closure, the show reopens its doors in Switzerland on Monday and there are not many European manufacturers.

There are no German manufacturers. Neither BMW nor Volkswagen are present at the Geneva International Motor Show from February 26 to March 3, while our neighbors are known for their automobile industry. And there aren’t many French either, since only one French group is present: Renault. The diamond brand wants to highlight its new electric R5, a modern version of the popular car from the 1970s. The French manufacturer also wants to highlight its Rafale SUV, or the latest arrivals in the range such as the Espace, or the Mégane and the Scénic in electric form.

And there are no Japanese, Korean or American brands either. Since Covid, the traditional model of the living room has been a bit outdated. Being an exhibitor is expensive, at a time when many manufacturers are tightening the screws, they no longer see much point in spending so much money on this type of event, while they advertise through the networks social media and influencers.

The “Chinese surge”

While in the past, this show was an unmissable and prestigious event, in 2024, it is a reduced version. And this disaffection with brands clearly reflects the shift and the great malaise that the automobile sector is currently experiencing. Most Western manufacturers are very worried. They must submit to restrictive ecological standards, some face human resources problems, such as, for example, the major wage strikes in the United States last year. And then, with the arrival of artificial intelligence, the sector also fears for its future. In summary, everyone is expecting a rebound in sales which is not coming, in a context of increasingly strong competition from Asian brands.

Moreover, if the European and American brands have rather chosen to ignore it, this will not be the case for the Chinese. They will be very numerous (BYD, MG, or even Saic), to the point that some are talking about “Chinese wave” in Geneva. Chinese groups are coming en masse to present their hybrid and electric models, conquer the European market, compete with Western brands and try to attract a rather wealthy clientele. And as they are not yet very well known on the old continent and for them, this show is an opportunity to present their models. The organizers expect nearly 200,000 visitors.