BMW will livestream debut of i4 EV after Geneva show called off

[Mark-x]

With the annual Geneva auto show canceled for the first time since the World War II era, automakers are going virtual in a bid to wow the hordes who would otherwise have descended on the Swiss city to inspect the latest models up close. BMW will livestream the debut of its i4 full-electric concept on Tuesday, while Mercedes-Benz's po[CENSORED]r E-class sedan and Audi's A3 sportback and full-electric e-tron S will also be touted in digital displays. Even as automakers have been pulling back from auto shows in recent years, the gatherings still attract media, suppliers and fans eager to run their hands over the latest upholstery or settle in behind the wheels of new vehicles. Audi parent Volkswagen Group used last year's Frankfurt event to unveil its ID3 electric car, and to spread the message that the world's largest automaker was moving on after the diesel-cheating crisis and honing an image as a leader in the transition to battery powered cars. 

The Geneva showcase, which was scheduled to start this week, was called off due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus in Europe. Automakers were forced into contingency planning, with online events emerging as a way to salvage part of their marketing efforts. 

 

BMW was aiming to make a big splash for its i4, a car meant to help reassert the German company's momentum in electric vehicles. The group is sticking to the same program on Tuesday, albeit with a "digital press conference" by CEO Oliver Zipse, speaking from BMW's Munich headquarters. Even before being canceled, the Geneva show -- a luxury-car expo that's typically dominated by glitzy vehicles from automakers such as Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes's AMG unit -- was in danger of being overshadowed by industry woes. The virus outbreak, which has depressed car sales in China and disrupted supplier lines, adds to the challenges. Trade wars and tariffs, and an economic slowdown sent sales into a tailspin last year in China, the world's largest auto market and a key country for exports for the three big German automakers. 

 

Audi's e-tron S similarly is aimed at scaling up the VW premium unit's Tesla-fighting capabilities as Elon Musk prepares to open a new plant near Berlin. The Mercedes-Benz E class is a critical model for the automaker in terms of global sales volumes and revenue per vehicle. Automakers scouring their books for ways to cut costs and better target marketing had already scaled back spending on Geneva and other industry events, which have subsequently lost some of their allure. This year at Geneva, for example, VW had done away with hosting the evening reception it traditionally used to kick off the media days preceding the opening of the trade fair to the public. This pressure is unlikely to ease anytime soon. 'The current economic weakness in important markets amplifies the cost pressure and the trend toward consolidation," said Stefan Bratzel, a researcher at the Center of Automotive Management near Cologne, Germany."Only a few automakers can stem the necessary investments in new technologies and business areas on their own."