The best cars at the Munich auto show

MUNICH -- Munich is hosting IAA Mobility, a reinvention of the auto show that for seven decades occurred annually in Frankfurt, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancelation in 2020.

Set amid environmental protests that shut down roads and the build up to a Sept. 26 election that will see German Chancellor Angela Merkel replaced after 16 years, the show has been rebranded to a "mobility" showcase of electric scooters and e-bikes, electric buses and trams, transportation pods, and cars too.

It was the first major automotive show to be held since pandemic cancelations brought Germany's trade show industry a $47 billion loss, according to the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry.

Automakers were already questioning the relevance of auto shows before the novel coronavirus arrived. Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren, and Bentley opted to skip this one, too. But several major manufacturers thought it worth their while to be a part of the show, which was staged at Munich's gargantuan convention hall and some of the city's most significant and beautiful historical sites, including the Bayerische Staatsoper opera house.

Merkel and Formula One Champion Nico Rosberg were among the attendees.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled five battery-powered vehicles (plus a hybrid), kicking off a $47 billion effort to push its electric models to consumers.
Foremost among them is the EQE, the follow-up to the stately EQS sedan that Mercedes started selling last month. The EQS's smaller, less-expensive sibling is expected to bolster the company's sales volume, revenue and margins.

Mercedes also unveiled the EQG electric SUV concept on Sunday before the show's official opening. As the latest take on Mercedes's iconic "Gelaendewagen," the electric G-Wagen loses the grille of the gasoline-powered G-Class for a black panel with an illuminated three-pointed star and brilliant, round LED headlights.

Protective strips run the length of its body, and a squared-off rear box will hold the spare tire and charging cord. The company has not yet confirmed it will make the EQG but has said this design is a "near-production study."

The AMG EQS and AMG GT 4-Door Coupe also joined the group, which was highlighted by the Mercedes-Maybach SUV design concept, a rounded, two-tone vehicle with Maybach logos repeated across its body like the stamping of the Louis Vuitton "LV" on a handbag.

During a roundtable with reporters, Mercedes-Maybach head Philipp Schiemer said such an expensive vehicle is crucial to Mercedes-Benz's long-term goals.

"New technology for the luxury customer is always interesting," Schiemer told the reporters. "There will be more confidence [in electric power] as we move into the new era, so it's absolutely logical for us to put our efforts toward electrification."

Meanwhile, local brand BMW announced it would its double orders for battery cells as it unveiled the production versions of its iX and i4 electric cars, as well as a number of electric motorcycles. 

"Rethink, reduce, reuse, and recycle," BMW's top executive Oliver Zipse repeated during his presentation at the group's big event.

Chief among the BMW proposals was the i Vision Circular pod made from recycled, unpainted aluminum, steel, and other reused materials. The conceptual hatchback was intended to show what a BMW could be like in the year 2040.

It most notably elongated the shape of the signature kidney grills on the front and gained digital surfaces along its window trims and undulating lights along the rear.

Porsche showed an electric vehicle that is decidedly not about recycling and more about driving fast. The Porsche Mission R concept is the company's hypothetical take on what a customer "cup car" racer would be like if powered by electric batteries.

Roughly the size of a Porsche Cayman, with a single seat and a roll cage integrated directly into its roof, the Mission R is neither road-legal nor cleared for FIA-sanctioned racing. If given the go-ahead, the car is likely to be produced in 2024 and would comply with whatever regulations are in place, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told Bloomberg.

Along with e-fuels, fast-charging networks, hybrids, and the successful electric Taycan sedan, the car is part of Porsche's goal to become carbon-neutral by 2030. "We see ourselves as pioneers in investing and developing this technology," Blume said.

As for Audi, the Volkswagen Group brand unveiled the second in its series of three "sphere" conceptual cars, the Grandsphere, just weeks after it showed the Skysphere coupe concept in Los Angeles.

The electric precursor to a sedan set for production in 2025, Grandsphere has an autonomous mode that tucks away the steering wheel and pedals.

It has a total driving range of 466 miles and can charge for 186 miles of driving in 10 minutes when needed, using a special charger.

Audi's top executives have promised to make all new vehicles electric from 2026 onward. Annual deliveries of Audi cars will double to 3 million by 2030, they said.

Judging from the week in Munich, the German automakers may fare well with their fast-approaching gamble on electric mobility--at least in Europe.

German sales of electric cars are expected to reach 3.4 million annually in 2040, according to BloombergNEF's long-term electric vehicle outlook. The figure would amount to more than 90 percent of the country's entire new-car sales. 

While many electric cars unveiled at the Munich show fall into the luxury segment, the Volkswagen ID Life gives a glimpse of what entry-level electric cars might look like in the next few years.

"The concept provides a preview of an ID model in the small-car segment that we will be launching in 2025, priced at around 20,000 euros [$23,600]. This means we are making electric mobility accessible to even more people," said Ralf Brandstaetter, CEO of the VW brand.

The small, boxy SUV is designed for driving on tight city streets. It is based on a smaller variant of VW's modular electric drive matrix (MEB) that was developed specifically for the small-car segment. This is the first time a vehicle based on the MEB will feature front-wheel drive.

With its 172-kW electric motor, the ID Life can get from zero to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds, while its 57-kWh battery enables a range of 248 miles.