Here are five things of note at one of the world’s biggest motor shows.
1. Covid comeback
Eased Covid restrictions and vaccines mean the show is able to take place in person, the first big event of its type in Germany since the beginning of the pandemic last year.
Daily visitor numbers are capped at 80,000. Attendees have to prove they are double-vaccinated, have recently recovered from the virus or are in possession of a negative test, and are asked to wear a mask inside.
But outside, the show, which takes place every two years, spills out into the city centre, with events happening throughout Munich open to the public.
2. Green issues
Climate change and the shift to sustainable vehicles are on everyone’s lips at the show, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who opened the IAA with a vote of confidence for the industry.
Over 70 bicycle brands are at the show to peddle vehicles on two wheels – there are two halls dedicated to bicycles, suggesting the show is earning its new sobriquet IAA “Mobility”.
Some names more associated with speedy roadsters than bicycles are getting in on the act. Porsche is flaunting the bike rack on its new Taycan Turbo S and the own-brand electric bike to go with it, in matching colours.
But not every vehicle was able to deliver on its green promises. The Mercedes E-Performance hybrid, the first from its sports marque AMG, has electricity in the name but a fully-charged battery will take the car only 12km.
3. Small packages
Some companies are hoping to appeal to drivers who want something more economical in space and more efficient in consumption.
The Microlino, scarcely 2.5m in length, welcomes test drivers by its forward-facing door.
“It’s not a car,” says Wim Ouboter, founder of Swiss scooter brand Micro, whose two sons are developing the pint-sized vehicle, “but it does protect you from the weather and it’s heated.”
The model is among those trying to entice younger buyers with a promise of travel adapted to crowded city life.
Israeli company City Transformer, meanwhile, is showcasing its model whose wheels can be retracted when driving at low speeds or when trying to squeeze between cars at crowded parking lots.
4. Automatic parking
Finding a parking space may soon be easier as Bosch demonstrated its new driverless parking technology.
The automated system coordinates with the parking lot to guide the car to an empty space after its owner has already stepped out of the vehicle.
The cameras in the lot provide “an external view on the exterior of the vehicle” to see if any hazards are approaching, says Robert Exler, responsible for the “automatic valet” system at Bosch.
The technology is ready to be deployed, the company says, but for the moment is only available in the latest high-end vehicles, such as the Mercedes EQS.
5. Climate protests
“Stop driving climate change” is the message activists have for manufacturers at the show, blocking key motorways around Munich on the opening day of the IAA and forcing road closures and traffic jams.
Protests around the main event are not a new feature at the summit. In 2019, thousands demonstrated outside the show in Frankfurt.
Further demonstrations were planned yesterday and today, culminating in a larger-scale protest tomorrow of a mass gathering with cyclists converging on the show from all directions.