My IAA Munich 2023 OpenSpaces experience
This is not by any means a review, but rather my impressions of the city booths and the latest cars at IAA 2023. While the main expo was on the outskirts of Munich (where I didn't go), there were significant "OpenSpace" venues in the town centre that I'll be recalling below, largely around Odeonsplatz and Königsplatz.
As an iOS developer, I have to say the official IAA Mobility app was as basic and barely fit for purpose as it could be: slow to load, unable to cache anything, and draining battery from overusing GPS. I could go on; it looked dated and uninspiring, and barely worked to notify you of what was happening at each venue.
It is also worth noting the permanent showrooms always present in Munich outside of IAA. As soon as you arrive at Munich Airport, you can find the Audi Brand Experience Centre. The newly opened HiPhi Hub is also definitely worth visiting, showcasing all their cars. In the centre of town, there are permanent spaces for Lucid, Lotus, and Genesis, all with their electric cars front and centre—not to mention the Bavarian heavyweights, BMW and Mercedes, which have spaces all around Munich.
As for the manufacturers with booths at the OpenSpace venues, I want to start with the ones I missed or expected to see. First off, NIO did not show any cars, even though it was part of the main keynote. Secondly, SAIC did not seem to have a presence for its Maxus/MG brands, nor did Aiways. All these brands are making a push into the European market, so their absence made them look less committed compared to, say, BYD or Xpeng.
The brands with the most significant presence, in my opinion, were BMW, VW, BYD, and Mercedes. Everything else felt like expensive filler, or players like Tesla and Lucid that didn’t really have to try too much.
Minimal presence: Tesla, Xpeng, Lucid, Rimac, Porsche, Audi, Ford
Tesla didn’t need to show much besides the refreshed Model 3, which was on display alongside a Model Y, a Tesla Bot, and a V3 Supercharger for good measure.
Xpeng had two cars tucked behind the Lucid booth, with the young crowd seemingly loving the fold-up doors of the P7 and plenty of interest in the interior and exterior of the G9 SUV. I found the latter to be the better of the two, as the P7's interior was not as comfortable as a car of that size promises to a 6'2" individual like myself.
Surprise presence: Avatr, Voyah
Chargers
As a closing note, the EV chargers on display at any of the non-car booths were quite lacking. At the places that did have them, staff didn't seem to know much about the units. On the infrastructure side, there is still a long way to go. I expected wireless charger demos and innovative solutions, but there was none of it. Solar canopy chargers would have been another great area where Jeep or Ford could have had a strong showing, but they failed to materialise it.
