Paris Motor Show: 5 announcements to remember

© Smart

There are some events that should not be missed, and the Mondial de l'Auto is one of them. For its 90th edition in more than 120 years of existence, the show has brought back the biggest manufacturers on the planet, gathered in the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles in Paris.

The French on the front line

As is often the case during an edition of the Mondial de l'Auto, it is the French manufacturers who are flexing their muscles. This year again, the event can thank Peugeot, Citroën and especially Renault for playing the game. If the diamond-shaped company made headlines with its new R4 (in electric version), on the personalities side we will rather remember the (over)media presence of Carlos Tavares, the big boss of the Stellantis group.

During these many interventions, he particularly insisted on the preponderant role of “institutional actors” in the ongoing transition. The world of the automobile is changing face, and this transformation cannot be the sole result of the industry.

China increasingly powerful

On the other side of the world, China continues to advance its pawns. Present in large numbers in Paris, Chinese manufacturers did not make great sparks this year, but their presence is no longer a question. They are now part of the landscape and some brands, like BYD, still unknown 10 years ago, are announced as the big names of tomorrow.

The Americans are resisting

Faced with the emergence of Chinese manufacturers and their ever cheaper electric cars, competition is consolidating. While in Europe, the Stellantis group is calling on governments for help, in Uncle Sam's country, they are trying to respond, without putting all the ingredients in.

Despite its name, the Mondial de l'Auto does not reach an international clientele. It is primarily focused on the European market and its very specific needs. American manufacturers, aware of the key role of this market in their commercial expansion, are trying to adapt to European trends.

The best example of this desire for change is the presentation, from Paris, of the new Ford Explorer. A small SUV designed for the city and easy to maintain. Typically a car tailored for Europe.

Luxury always there

They are the DNA of the Mondial de l'Auto, but the big luxury brands did not show up in 2024. In addition to institutions like the Italian Ferrari or its long-standing adversary the German Porsche, the British McLaren was not officially visible in the aisles of the Parc des Expositions.

But these three brands did not miss the Parisian event. All three took advantage of the excitement generated by this show to present new models from their respective factories.

Thermal is dead and buried

Finally, the absence of major luxury brands at the Mondial de l'Auto marked, for those who had not yet come to terms with it, the definitive end of thermal engines. Gasoline cars have no place in the automotive landscape of tomorrow, and manufacturers have understood this well.

They must make a transition to electric cars quickly, so as not to be overtaken by new brands, such as BYD or Tesla, which are already the two giants of the sector. For the time being, French manufacturers are managing to carve out a good place for themselves on their national market, particularly Peugeot, but the fight is only just beginning.

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