Last week, word began circulating that the organizers of the 2020 Beijing Auto Show were contemplating rescheduling the event due to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak in China.
We now have official confirmation that the car show, originally scheduled for April 21-30, will indeed be pushed back, as reported by Autonews Europe. According to officials, Coronavirus cases across mainland China rose to 70,548, with 1,770 deaths.
The show’s new date will be announced at a later time, as carmakers should begin to announce their own programs for this year’s event.
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At the previous event back in 2018 (The Beijing show is held every two years), major car companies such as VW, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Ford came out with key product launches, suitable for one of the world’s largest automotive trade fairs, as well as the world’s biggest car market.
The Beijing Auto Show is only the latest high-profile event to be postponed because of this viral epidemic. Credit Suisse pushed back its Asia investment conference, while the Chinese government is considering delaying its political meeting for the first time in decades.
Earlier this month, the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was canceled because of the virus, while the 2020 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix was postponed until further notice.
As for the car industry, multiple production lines across many brands have so far been impacted – this including Hyundai being forced to suspend production in its home country of South Korea because of a supply chain issue.
