The German Car Industry Showcases Impressive Green Mobility Tech at IAA MunichThe German Car Industry Showcases Impressive Green Mobility Tech at IAA Munich

German carmakers demonstrate their plans for sports cars, 4x4s, and race cars to all shift to electric power.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

September 8, 2021

10 Slides
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The BMW press conference at the 2021 IAA Munich motor show.Dan Carney

World events have conspired to relocate the former IAA Frankfurt Motor Show to Munich, where it appeared in covid-diminished form for the first time. Despite the evident reduction in activity, German manufacturers still mustered some impressive debuts for the IAA Munich show.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the show, which was located at Munich’s convention center. This was supplemented by presentation stages throughout the city center that gave visitors easy access to the latest new models.

Green protestors, having succeeded in chasing the show out of Frankfurt, blocked several area roads in a bid to harass show organizers and attendees.

Perhaps motivated by the show’s location in the shadow of rival BMW’s Munich headquarters, Mercedes-Benz led the way with three impressive new concept vehicles as well as a display of a previously seen exotic concept, the Vision AVTR.

BMW and Porsche also delivered some interesting electric models designed to address climate change concerns, and many companies at the show announced new electrification and recycling targets. Click through the slideshow for a look at some of the show’s cool concept models.

 

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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