Until 1989, the IAA featured both passenger cars and commercial vehicles in one show that was held at the exhibition site in Frankfurt. Following a recent slump in visitor and exhibitor numbers, organisers VDA decided not to renew the contract with Messe Frankfurt and moved the show out of Frankfurt.

In March 2020, a decision was made to host the event in Munich due to it being home to manufacturers like BMW and several other tech companies like Apple and Google. The organisers also received support from the Greens-led city council and Bavarian state government to host the show. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the show was postponed from 2020 to 2021.

Finally, the show was held from 7-12 September 2021 in Munich. The move to Munich worked wonders for the organisers, as the 2021 edition of IAA Mobility witnessed over 400,000 participants from 95 countries, along with an international media reach of 137 billion. The show featured around 744 exhibitors and 936 speakers from 32 countries presenting their views and innovations.

Talking about the show's success, Hildegard Müller, President, German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), said, "We took a courageous step and were rewarded by the visitors. A total of 400,000 participants in only six days is a clear case of 'voting with their feet’. The visitors were evidently very interested in and delighted by the whole experience. The IAA MOBILITY is now the largest mobility event in the world. New electric cars, bicycles, e-scooters, energy policies and urban planning, digitisation and more – here in Munich, we presented and discussed what needs to be thought together in the future. At the IAA MOBILITY Conference, we also experienced lively discussions on the path to new mobility. The exhibitors unveiled more than 100 premieres of their latest models and concepts, underscoring the fact that the transformation of mobility is being driven forward toward climate neutrality and digitisation."

The 2021 edition of IAA Mobility was focused around 'What will move us next?'. Exhibitors presented their innovations focussing on automation, connectivity and sustainability. Below we will discuss the innovations displayed by Michelin and Continental and talk about the other significant exhibits from the show.

Continental:

It was a busy IAA Mobility 2021 for Continental. The company showcased a slew of innovations ranging from sustainable tyre to autonomous vehicle concept. All concepts showcased were categorised under the tagline 'Safe, Connected, Convenient and Driving the Future of Mobility for 150 years'.

The first concept showcased was the Conti GreenConcept. This sustainable tyre concept has been developed by Continental's development engineers and material experts to set new standards in integrated sustainability. The concept tyre consists of an exceptionally high proportion of traceable renewable and recycled materials. It is based on innovative and resource-saving lightweight technology that ensures an extended service life.

Conti GreenConcept tyre is made up of 35 percent renewable raw materials and 17 percent recycled materials. The use of organic materials like natural rubber from dandelions, silicate from the ashes of rice husks and various vegetable oils and resins help significantly in reducing the use of crude oil-based materials. In addition to using processed steel and carbon black, Continental is using recycled PET bottles in the casing of the tyre for the first time as part of its Contyre.Tex technology rollout.

Another advantage of the Conti GreenConcept’s lightweight design is significant reduction in rolling resistance helping improve EV range by up to six percent. According to an analysis by Continental, the rolling resistance of Conti GreenConcept is around 25 percent lower than any tyre with Class A rolling resistance. In addition, the Conti GreenConcept’s renewable tread can be replaced repeatedly with little effort. This tread concept significantly improves resource conservation along with improving the service life of the tyre.

Conti GreenConcept tyre also features COKOON – a technology for the eco-friendly bonding of textile reinforcements with rubber compounds developed by Continental in partnership with Kordsa.

Talking about the Conti GreenConcept tyres, Nikolai Setzer, CEO, Continental, said, "The cars of the future will still need tyres, which we are making more and more sustainable, as our concept tyre shows. The Conti GreenConcept demonstrates how Continental will completely convert its global tyre production to use sustainable materials by 2050 at the latest. This underlines our goal of being the most advanced tyre company along the entire value chain by 2030 in terms of social needs as well as our ecological and economic footprint. Step by step, our solutions and technologies are enhancing sustainability and climate protection on the road."

Continental also showcased its vision of an autonomous, connected future with the AMBIENC3 car interiors concept alongside the sustainable tyre concept. A combination of 'Ambience' and '3^rd space', the AMBIENC3 concept combines driving, working and relaxing in one interior.

The interior concept features the Ac2ated sound system, offering immersive audio without speakers and the ProViu360 driver assistance system, which gives the driver much better situational awareness thanks to a camera surround system. Other exciting interior features include intelligent glass control with adjustable dimming and heating functions, a built-in solar charger with photovoltaic cell and the eTravel companion software that provides the driver with tips and recommendations relating to the route, refuelling and the condition of the vehicle.

Michelin:

While Continental stayed inside, Michelin took to the streets to showcase its airless tyre solution. Equipped on a Mini Electric, the Unique Puncture-Proof Tyre System (UPTIS) made its public appearance offering test ride opportunities to certain lucky members of the general public. Announced in 2019, the UPTIS is part of Michelin's sustainable development model, the Vision concept. The UPTIS features a structure capable of supporting the vehicle while also delivering a safe and comfortableride without air.

Commenting on the UPTIS, Cyrille Roget, Group Technical and Scientific Communications Director, Michelin, said, "The truly distinctive structure of the Michelin UPTIS prototype, or its 'weirdness' as we have often heard it called, really attracted the attention of many visitors and left a lasting impression on them. It was an exceptional experience for us, and our greatest satisfaction came at the end of the demonstration when our passengers, who were admittedly a little wary at first, said they felt no difference compared with conventional tyres."

Along with the public display of the UPTIS, Michelin also showcased its first competition tyre constructed using 46 percent sustainable materials. These products align with Michelin's ambition to use 100 percent sustainable material in its tyres by 2050.

In addition to the tyre showcase, Michelin also ran an awareness campaign encouraging people to recycle waste and highlight the company's sustainability plans. Six teams were tasked to collect enough plastic to produce 100 tyres. The company has plans to utilise these PET bottles and yoghurt cups to produce and launch its first sustainable tyre latest by 2024. As part of its awareness campaign, Michelin also revealed a recipe for creating sustainable tyres using green waste and plastic waste.

Other launches

Apart from Continental and Michelin, there were many manufacturers and suppliers who showcased their vision of a carbon-neutral future. Some of the highlights include BMW's i Vision CirCular Concept car made from almost 100 percent recycled materials; automated valet parking system jointly developed by Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, CARIAD, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Continental, Valeo, Kopernikus Automotive and Unikie; driverless robotaxi for 2022 produced in collaboration by Intel and Sixt and multiple in-cabin monitoring systems for cars showcased by Valeo, Bosch and Continental.

Following a challenging phase with the ongoing pandemic, the auto industry has emerged greener and stronger than ever before and the IAA 2021 was an indication of the same. The next IAA Mobility show is scheduled from 5-10 September 2023 and we can expect the auto industry to come up with more intelligent and greener solutions to our mobility problems. (TT)

l’Aventure Michelin is reopening its doors to visitors after a month’s closure with a revamped visitor trail. The overhauled visitor trail will offer visitors a glimpse of Michelin’s history: right from bicycle tyres to the Michelin Man and the MICHELIN Guide, which is celebrating its 125 anniversary this year.

In order to facilitate visitors' movements and enhance the immersive experience of exploration, l'Aventure Michelin has redesigned its trail for its reopening. Access for those with disabilities was carefully considered. Since its inception, l'Aventure Michelin has maintained the French Tourism & Disability quality rating. It continuously improves its visitor trail to make the trip accessible to everyone, which is evident from the magnetic loops, easily comprehensible brochures and videos in French Sign Language.

This more inclusive visitor trail is complemented by a recently added section that emphasises sustainable mobility and development. Michelin will showcase its MILAW lunar wheel concept designed for vehicles travelling through harsh settings, such as the lunar south pole area. It is specifically designed to withstand harsh circumstances with its flexible construction and lack of air, which maximises traction on uneven ground. The second invention is the WISAMO inflatable wingsail, which uses wind power to cut down on ship fuel usage and contribute to the decarbonisation of marine transportation. It uses a renewable energy source and is compatible with both cargo ships and sailboats.

A member survey of the German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) has come to a conclusion that the situation in Germany as a production location remains worrying. The member survey highlighted that industry sales fell by almost two percent last year. Sales and domestic production were even weaker, with a decrease of three percent compared to the previous year.

Michael Klein, President, wdk, termed this as an ‘overly clear warning signal’ in Frankfurt am Main today with regard to the earnings situation. "While earnings in 2023 were 'only' strained or even threatened the existence of around a quarter of the companies in the industry, this proportion has now increased to more than 40 percent. That is why improving the location conditions must be at the top of the agenda of the next federal government," he said, explaining that more than one in five companies in the industry are already planning to relocate production out of Germany by 2025.

Demand, legislation, energy, sustainability, and specifically, location conditions are the biggest challenges facing the companies in the rubber industry, according to the member survey. Pointing out that 90 percent of companies are feeling an increase in bureaucratic burdens, Klein further added, "This is a clear mandate for politicians. The new federal government must immediately address the issue of reducing bureaucracy - in Germany and in Europe. 13,000 new laws since 2019 are not an achievement, but a burden.”

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA) has sent its recommendations to the public consultation held by the European Commission about the urgent measures that must be taken to ensure the automotive industry's survival in Europe and to pinpoint possible remedies.

The proposals made by ETRMA are intended to reduce bureaucratic burdens, create a legislative climate that will increase competitiveness and advance a broader EU Automotive Action Plan that views the whole automotive supply chain as strategically important.

The main points of ETRMA's recommendations include promoting best-performing tyres and tackling the high energy costs for the industry, establishing sector-specific regulation for safe access to in-vehicle data, developing an EU Rubber Strategy to secure supply chain of raw materials such as natural rubber and including it in list of critical raw materials, equipping the current and future workforce with the skills required to meet increasing demands of the industry, achieving fair and open access to global markets for European tyres with a focus on emerging high-growth regions like India and Indonesia and simplifying the tyre regulatory environment to reduce implementation costs and legal uncertainties to promote investing in R&D and producing in Europe.

As the FIA Formula 1 World Championship hosted an exceptional event at London’s O2 Arena to celebrate and mark its 75th anniversary, Pirelli, who is the global tyre partner of Formula 1, marked the beginning of its own celebration. The year 2025 is special for Pirelli too as it is set to hit the 500 Grands Prix mark during the coming season. On the occasion, the company revealed a version of the Pirelli logo that will be used for all its Formula 1 communication throughout the 2025 season.

Pirelli will reach the 500-mark at the Dutch Grand Prix on 31 August at Zandvoort, having participated in 485 championship events thus far. A week later, Pirelli will host a number of special festivities at its home event in Monza to commemorate this milestone. The company has planned a series of celebration activities, the first of which was the unveiling of the logo.

An analysis of the 50 most important Grands Prix during Pirelli's tenure on the F1 World Championship trail will be the first initiative, and it will be featured on Pirelli.com. The British Grand Prix, which took place at Silverstone on 13 May 1950, was the inaugural round of motor racing's blue riband category. That day, there were 21 cars on the grid, eight of which were equipped with Pirelli tires. All three of the top finishers were Alfa Romeos, with Giuseppe Fagioli and Nino Farina of Italy leading the field ahead of Reg Parnell of England. It was the first chapter in Pirelli's lengthy and continuous history in Formula 1, where the Italian business would provide the tyres this year with the longest record in the sport.