The 2022 Geneva Motor Show this week took a step forward in its renaissance, after two years of inactivity due to the coronavirus. The foundation board gave the green light on Monday to hold an edition next year. Official dates are from February 19 to 27, as always at the Palexpo of the Swiss city.
The boss of the Geneva Motor Show, Sandro Mesquita, speaks of a “courageous entrepreneurial decision”, taken in a “fragile context” due to the persistence of the pandemic and the difficulties facing the automotive industry. “The organization of the event in 2022 was ultimately motivated by the number of registered exhibitors, which so far amounts to 60”, explains the CEO of the Show.
Geneva Motor Show 2022, access allowed to a maximum of 30 thousand people per day
The event, despite everything, will have to deal with the restrictions due to the pandemic. In fact, the organizers explain, there will be “only” 30 thousand people who will be able to access the event every day. And for those who will not be able to present themselves in person in the halls of the Salone, all the events will be broadcast in live streaming through a dedicated portal.
Big names will be missing, like Stellantis, the group that brings together the brands Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, says the CEO. But there will be Ferrari, as well as Bentley and Lamborghini, both of which are part of the German giant Volkswagen.
As for the participants, Sandro Mesquita also mentioned Audi, Renault, Skoda, Seat e KIA among the mainstream brands, but also Bugatti, Rimac and Koenigsegg. “We also have new players in urban electric mobility”, such as the Swiss Softcar.
The Geneva Motor Show, however, had to revise its financial objectives downwards. Even with 60 exhibitors, the event is far from the 160 participants hosted in past editions. “For next year we should reach half the revenues compared to the pre-crisis level, even if it is still too early to make predictions”, says Sandro Mesquita.
Despite the limitations and absences, there are also some interesting innovations, such as the track (about 300 meters) where you can try electric and hybrid cars and an area dedicated to video games that have cars as a theme.