This Saturday The 42nd edition of the Barcelona International Motor Show opens its doors to the general public, renamed Automobile Barcelona since 2017. The contest will bring together the offer of 31 brands, in addition to the incorporation of the sample dedicated to two-wheeled vehicles MotoOh! Barcelona. Throughout its history, the show has symbolized the weight of Barcelona, pioneer of the first autochthonous experiences in the manufacture of motor vehicles (1889), of the landing of production plants of major international brands (Ford, 1931) and of the popularization of vehicle access through the first popular Seat models (1950). And now (with the slogan Electrifying) it has the challenge of being the showcase for the electrical conversion of the sector, and for the renewal of Barcelona’s role as capital in this new ecosystem.
One of the outstanding novelties of the Automobile Barcelona 2023 It has been the presence of Chinese brands at a time when for the first time the best-selling electric car in Spain (the MG Z4) is also Chinese-made. Although the installation of any manufacturer of this nationality in Spain has not become a reality, nor have the possibilities of deploying local assembly plants materialized, its impact on the market, with products at a good price and of respectable quality, means at the same time time a boost for the electrification of the Spanish car park and a warning signal for European manufacturers, who must prepare to compete. With the support of New Generation public funds but also with products that meet the needs of potential buyers.
the only possible future
Barcelona is in the center of a region (with the large factories in Navarra, Zaragoza, Valencia and Martorell and also the future Sagunto battery plant) in which it can continue to play a key role thanks to the commitment of the Volkswagen group (with the announcement this week of the Cupra Raval, the first 100% electric from Martorell) but also in innovation in the fields of auxiliary industry, charging facilities or new formulas for light electric mobility, from motorcycles to mini-vehicles or transport urban. That, in all its variants, is the only possible future for a sector undergoing intense conversion, with fossil fuels already with an expiration date due to an urgent environmental imperative.
But as the industry has reminded more than once, It is difficult to be a productive power in this sector if the local electric mobility market does not have the necessary critical mass. And for this, not only public aid for industrial conversion and purchase by individuals and company fleets is essential, but also the deployment of the entire ecosystem (from clean electricity generation to the creation of an extensive network of solutions load) that makes this great change possible. Something especially necessary in areas (such as the Barcelona metropolis) with a fabric of high-rise homes that make the deployment of electric cars more difficult than areas where single-family homes predominate. Where, in addition, it is missing that the policies of restriction of the use of the private vehicle discriminate between polluting mobility and sustainable mobility that should find an environment that promotes it.