Tesla makes an unexpected revelation a month prior to the IAA in Munich.
In a surprising turn of events, Tesla has announced it will not participate in this year's IAA Mobility event in Munich. The Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the event organiser, confirmed the news a month before the event's commencement [1].
This decision comes following CEO Elon Musk's public endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of the federal election, which caused significant criticism and led to protests targeting Tesla vehicles in Germany [2]. The political controversy and potential negative attention from activists appear to be the key reasons behind Tesla's decision to skip this major auto show.
The IAA Mobility event in Munich has been held twice before, in 2021 and 2023, with the latter seeing smaller protests compared to the first Munich edition [6]. Tesla's appearance at the IAA two years ago was relatively modest compared to other manufacturers [4]. However, a few years ago, Tesla was leading in the registration of electric vehicles in Germany [7]. Unfortunately, this year, Tesla ranked only ninth in the registration of electric vehicles in Germany in the first seven months [8].
Despite Tesla's absence, the IAA reported an increasing number of booth bookings and an increasing international presence of exhibitors in early July [9]. A record number of Chinese companies had already registered for the event by this time [10]. The event, with its strong focus on future-oriented mobility and electric vehicle innovation [3][5], is set to showcase the latest advancements in the automotive industry.
It remains unclear whether the protests and vehicle fires, which have occurred recently, are related to Tesla's decision not to participate in the IAA [5]. Regardless, the absence of Tesla at this year's IAA Mobility event in Munich is a significant development in the automotive industry, highlighting the impact of political controversies on corporate decisions.
References:
- VDA confirms Tesla's withdrawal from IAA Mobility
- Elon Musk's endorsement of AfD sparks protests against Tesla in Germany
- IAA Mobility 2021: A Focus on Future-Oriented Mobility
- Tesla's modest appearance at the IAA two years ago
- Tesla's withdrawal from IAA Mobility and the ongoing protests
- Protests at the IAA in Munich in both 2023 and 2021
- Tesla's dominance in electric vehicle registrations in Germany a few years ago
- Tesla's ranking in electric vehicle registrations in Germany this year
- IAA reports increasing booth bookings and international presence
- Record number of Chinese companies register for IAA Mobility 2022
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