Days after the North American International Auto Show was cancelled, the Paris Motor Show has announced some changes for this year’s event which is scheduled to kick off in late September.
In a statement, organizers said that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Paris Motor Show will not be able continue in its “current form.”
The organizers didn’t elaborate, but noted we can expect a “profound reinvention of the event.” They are also studying “alternative solutions in close collaboration with our main partners.”
Also Read: Detroit Auto Show Cancelled As Event Center To Be Turned Into Hospital Amid Coronavirus Crisis
Despite the changes related events, such as Movin’On and Smart City, are still planned to take place. However, they’ll likely be toned down.
We can expect additional information in the future, but organizers said “Nothing will be like before, and this crisis must teach us to be agile, creative and more innovative than ever.” They added “Our thoughts go out to all those affected by the pandemic, to our health personnel, and also to our customers whose companies are facing, with great determination, the economic impacts of this health crisis.”
While the statement is pretty vague, Auto News Europe suggested the event will eschew traditional automotive displays. How that would work remains unclear, but we should learn more as September approaches.
The revamping comes hot on the heels of the cancellation of the North American International Auto Show as the event’s venue, the TCF Center, will be transformed into field hospital to treat people with COVID-19. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to convert more than 250,000 square feet (23,226 square meters) of convention space into a medical facility that spans two floors and can house approximately 900 patients which are separated by the severity of their illness.
The decision also comes after the Geneva Motor Show was cancelled at the last minute, while events such as the New York Auto Show and the Goodwood Festival of Speed have been postponed.
