Back to where it all started, China is once again having major issues with controlling the coronavirus pandemic. The automotive industry is among the first to be impacted by the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, prompting organizers of the Beijing Auto Show to postpone the event indefinitely. Rumors about a potential delay have been swirling around the Internet since last month, and now, the news is official.
The Secretariat of Auto China took to WeChat (a Chinese social media platform) to confirm that this year’s edition has indeed been pushed back. However, the organizers have not provided a timeframe as to when the show could be held. Originally, the Auto China 2022 as it’s officially called was supposed to kick off on April 21 with the first media day and close its doors on April 30 with the last public day.
In a message published over the weekend, Auto China representatives said: “We will pay close attention to the development of the epidemic, and strive to enhance the event’s organization and service work according to the requirements of the epidemic prevention and control policy. The specific holding time after the extension will be notified separately.”
BMW fans from the People’s Republic are certainly disappointed to hear the news since the new i7 electric sedan was supposed to make an appearance at the show. We’ll still see the next-generation 7 Series (G70) and its EV counterpart on April 20, but the Mercedes EQS rival won’t be displayed to the public in China. The recently unveiled long-wheelbase i3 Sedan was supposed to attend the event as well.
New VW Aero B Spy Shots
Another important car, albeit only a concept, was earmarked to arrive in Beijing. We’re talking about an electric sedan previewing next year’s “Aero B.” It’s a follow-up to the ID. Vizzion from 2017 and will serve as the zero-emissions alternative to the Passat. A wagon is also in the works in the same vein as the ID. Space Vizzion from 2018.
It remains to be seen which cars that were destined to debut in Beijing will still be unveiled online in the latter half of the month. As for whether the show will be rescheduled for later in 2022, it’s not known at this point.
Source: Automotive News Europe
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