IAA Mobility 2023 - Turning Point in Mobility

It was the second edition of the "new IAA" in Munich. With the innovative concept, mobility as a whole is to be experienced and the event is to develop from a car show to a technology and innovation show. At the same time, the trade show is divided into two events, firstly the IAA Summit (motto: "Experience Connected Mobility") for trade professionals at the exhibition center in Riem and secondly the Open Space in the city center, which is open to all visitors free of charge. The halls on the exhibition grounds were well filled on press day and the mix of manufacturers and suppliers takes account of the fact that the innovations for tomorrow's mobility are increasingly coming from global system suppliers.

IAA Mobility Summit

IAA Open Space - Volkswagen at Odeonsplatz

IAA Open Space - Mercedes-Benz in the Residenz

Press Conference CATL

The battery is the most expensive component in an electric vehicle and at the same time decisive for the purchase criterion of range. This is why CATL's press conference, at which the Chinese battery manufacturer presented its new ShenXing battery, attracted a great deal of attention. The LFP battery is based on lithium iron phosphate and does not require rare earths. It is said to provide 400km of range in 10 minutes of charging and 700km in total. This is made possible by a charging power of 4C. For example, this means charging at up to 300 kW with a 75 kWh battery. Available for series production it would be as early as next year. These are the innovations that are driving e-mobility forward.

Press Conference Robert Bosch GmbH

Stefan Hartung, CEO of Robert Bosch GmbH, presented the new ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) Integration Platform, a central vehicle computer for driver assistance and automated driving as a universal IT platform. He sees sales of 3 billion euros for vehicle computers as early as 2026. The world's largest supplier is thus revealing its successful transformation from diesel technology to electromobility as its core business. It is about a software-defined and human-centered vehicle in an eco-system of mobility as a whole.

For the next generations of vehicles in the 2nd half of the decade, he predicts a tripling of SW applications and a tenfold increase in cloud applications. 38,000 SW developers are working on these future topics at Bosch. With infotainment systems, Bosch is growing by 25% a year - twice as fast as the market, he said. Sales from electromobility would grow to 6 billion in 2026, he said, with the growing need to recycle batteries also playing a role. The matching motto: Let's move #LikeABosch!

BMW Vision New Class

On the OEM side, the BMW Vision New Class is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the IAA 2023, aiming to redefine mobility in the areas of electrification, digitalization and circularity. The study is close to series production and provides a preview of the upcoming electric three-series. On this basis, 6 models are to be launched in the first 24 months starting in 2025. Production will start at the new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, in 2026 in Munich and Shenyang, China, in 2027 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The term "New Class" has existed before in BMW's history. Exactly 60 years ago, the BMW 1800, the more powerful brother of the 1500, was presented at the IAA in 1963. With the New Class of that time, BMW drove out of the crisis.

BMW Vision New Class - Rear View

With the all-electric New Class, BMW is reinventing itself and taking a big leap forward in design and technology. According to Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design, it practically skips a model generation. An 800-volt electrical system is used, and the latest battery technology is said to deliver 30 percent more range, 30 percent faster charging and 25 percent greater efficiency. The battery is based on lithium-ion 4695 round cells from Chinese cell producer EVE, which are longer than Tesla's 4680 cells and thus achieve a higher energy density of 260 wh/kg. It is said to achieve a battery charge from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes.

BMW Vision New Class - Interior

The interior is to feature an immersive digital user experience that merges real and virtual worlds. The centerpiece is the BMW Panoramic Vision, which projects information across the entire width of the windshield. It is complemented by a Central Display whose content can be moved to the BMW Panoramic Vision with a simple gesture. The use of secondary raw materials, the all-electric Gen 6 drive and resource-conserving production reduce the CO2 footprint over the entire life cycle of the vehicles. "More future is not possible," Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management for Development at BMW AG, is convinced.

The new all-electric MINI Cooper

And indeed, we are witnessing a technological turning point in electromobility here, as the limitation of ranges and long charging times will no longer play a role in the future. Currently, BMW offers the new all-electric i5 as well as plug-in hybrid models of the new BMW 5 Series. Likewise, the new all-electric MINI Cooper, developed in cooperation with Great Wall, was presented in the Open Space at Max-Joseph-Platz. The central round instrument has now given way to a central round screen.

Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA

... all-electric

Iconic Luxury

Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven

With so much innovation, Mercedes-Benz can't stand at the back of the queue. With an elaborate light show in the large red cube in the Residenz, the Concept CLA was presented. It stands on the new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) for a new generation of electric vehicles and is to be launched as early as 2024 in the form of a new entry-level model in the 3-series class with 4 different variants. The new technology is expected to enable ranges of over 750 km and consumption of 12 kWh/100km. This is a comparable technological leap to that announced by BMW. The interior follows the Iconic Luxury concept. The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven was presented as a beautiful study that follows the C111.

BYD Seal

Interior with rotatable central screen

Press Conference BYD

BYD should be mentioned here as representative of the Chinese manufacturers. BYD - pronounced Build Your Dream - may not be known to everyone, but it is the world's largest manufacturer of electric vehicles and the first to have delivered over 5,000,000 NEVs. In electric buses, they've had a presence in 52 countries for years. BYD has come to Munich with a full range of vehicles, which since 2016 have been drawn by German designer Wolfgang Egger, formerly Alfa Romeo and Audi's chief designer. The inspiration for the design would come from the ocean as Wolfgang Egger explained at the press conference. BYD is also a battery manufacturer, which means advantages in the integration of this crucial component.

BYD Han Interior

The BYD Seal also competes in the 3-series class and can be described as a Tesla 3 fighter. It is the first to come with the cell-to-body (CtB) battery concept, in which the cells are integrated into the structure of the vehicle in the form of blades and thus contribute to the rigidity of the body. In the dual-motor variant, it comes with 530 hp and a range of 520 km with an 82.5 kWh battery. The price is just over 50,000 euros. One special feature: the central screen can be turned from the steering wheel at the touch of a button. The workmanship looks high-quality inside and out. A test drive confirms the positive impression. One class higher, the HAN competes with the Mercedes E-Class, to which similarities can be seen.

This brings us to the second reason for the turning point in electromobility. The Chinese manufacturers are pushing massively into the European market at significantly lower prices. BYD alone plans to offer 5 models in Europe starting in October. This is a self-confident market offensive rarely seen. German manufacturers are forced to react, which will make electromobility cheaper overall.

VW Bus T1

VW ID.BUZZ

Camper joys

Concept VW GTI

The Volkswagen Group showed its complete range of electric vehicles from the ID.3 to the ID.7 and - not to be forgotten - the ID.BUZZ, which aims to hark back to the lifestyle of the 1960s. The star of the booth, however, was a study for a GTI model based on the future ID.2all. For this, there are ideas for cool gadgets such as digital displays that allow the selection for instrument displays according to the different Golf generations. This makes the eyes of former Golf I GTI drivers shine. Furthermore, the VW Group is investing in an e-fuel factory in Chile to be able to offer a CO2-neutral solution for existing vehicles.

Porsche exhibition stand with historic 911

911 anniversary model

Porsche exhibition stand

Porsche Taycan - test ride of the author

The only one still allowed to show an internal combustion car is Porsche. But they also have a good reason, because the 911 is 60 years old. The round birthday is celebrated with a trade show booth styled like the silhouette of a 911, and there is also a weight-optimized anniversary model where buyers can choose a starting number between 01 and 99. With the Taycan model, they can claim to have brought the Porsche feel over into the electric age. It already has the powerful 800-volt electrical system and has superior driving dynamics that are not easy to copy.

Flying car PAL-V

Rear view with rotor

Specification PAL-V

Hyperloop capsule of TUM

There would still be a lot to report, for example about many other vehicles, the manufacturers of micromobility, the providers of e-bikes, the discussion panels, the test opportunities, providers of charging infrastructure and many other innovations from suppliers. The IAA covers a large field that can hardly be completely covered in one week. Two innovative means of transportation are worth mentioning. Firstly, the flying car from PAL-V, presented at Motorworld, where the first sales office was also set up. Secondly, the Hyperloop capsule, a research project of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), which is on a test track and is expected to offer locomotion at 800 to 900 km/h in the future.

All in all, it was a very successful exhibition that offered a lot of interaction for the trade visitors and the interested public. With the wonderful late summer weather, the days in the Open Space with area-wide culinary provision were really fun and whetted the appetite for mobility of whatever kind. However, it remains to be seen whether the trade fair concept will be successful in the long term.

Despite all the positive aspects, the division into the exhibition center and the city center means double the effort for the manufacturers, which drives up costs. On the other hand, at an international automobile exhibition with the importance of the IAA, one must also expect that in essence not only German and Chinese, but also, for example, the brands from Japan and Korea see the importance of this trade show for themselves. In any case, we were able to take away many interesting impressions and are already looking forward to the IAA 2025.