International auto shows skew domestic with focus on EV sector

Tokyo and New York - International auto shows are becoming noticeably less global as nations concentrate on developing their own electric vehicle industries in the face of competition from China's explosive growth.

The Detroit Auto Show showcases electric models from major US carmakers like General Motors and Ford Motor, with an indoor test track for visitors to try them out. For the first time in eight years, Tesla will be at the event.

Japanese and European manufacturers have less presence at the event, with no press briefings, Toyota Motor operating its own booth, Honda Motor represented by dealers, and no new models announced.

Due to many automakers choosing the CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, the largest auto event in North America, the Detroit Auto Show, has lost its international flair. China was excluded from the Munich auto show's primary focus on European businesses.

The Japan Mobility Show, set to start in October, has only five foreign brands, including Chinese EV maker BYD. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association aims to bring in around 20 foreign companies.

Japanese automakers have skipped events like Detroit and Munich due to focus on electric vehicles (EVs). Chinese automakers showcased new EVs at Auto Shanghai, the world's largest exhibition. China doubled its presence at Munich, while at Jakarta, Chinese and South Korean automakers announced new EV models and local production plans.

Chinese automakers are gaining market share in Southeast Asia, leveraging low prices and subsidies from the Chinese government. The European Union has expressed concerns about the impact of cheap Chinese cars on automakers' profits, prompting an investigation into potential punitive tariffs.

Reducing reliance on China would be challenging when taking the supply chain as a whole into account. More than 60% of the world's automobile battery market is controlled by Chinese businesses. Eliminating Chinese battery sources would increase the cost of EV production.

International auto shows will either expand their role as a platform for promoting national pride or shift towards promoting the idea of the mobility sector as a whole, including non automotive industries, according to Seiji Sugiura, senior analyst at the Tokai Tokyo Research Institute. International auto shows would go one of two ways, he continued, amid the rivalry for EV supremacy.