Despite the new name, Germany’s bi-annual IAA Mobility show is still mostly about cars and the automotive supply chain. Shiny new cars? Check, although fewer than in the old days. Clever digital screen technology to prevent your passenger spotting how fast the speedometer thinks you’re driving? Check. Smart new materials that are lighter, stronger, cheaper, or just plain better? Check. Deep consideration of mobility ecosystems, customers’ mobility moments, or the best ways to balance different modes of transport? Hmm. Those required more digging to unearth.

The IAA Mobility website – “it’s all about mobility”

We’re researching the future of mobility here at Forrester, so it’s not surprising that we went looking for evidence of that. It’s also, to be fair, not entirely surprising that we struggled to find it in the halls of a global automotive trade show. New cars have a crowd-pleasing appeal that contemplation of how to design the perfect mobility moment might lack. A German government stand, for example, proclaimed ‘Neue Mobilität’ (new mobility), but only seemed to show an EV charger and displays advertising Germany’s (patchy) charging network. Important, for sure, but a very small piece of the new mobility we need.

So what did we see?

Software Platforms

Every automotive OEM wants one and they all seem determined to control as much of the ecosystem around their platform as they can, whether they’re actually any good at it or not. As consumers of mobility services become less loyal to individual car makers, a poor or limiting digital platform offering is likely to drive them away while a good one may not be enough to significantly increase brand preference: Forrester survey data suggests that only 20% of US online adults who have recently purchased or leased a car consider in-car technology an important factor in their choice, far behind factors like reliability (43%), comfort and handling (37%), or exterior styling (29%). Initiatives like digital.auto showed some of what’s possible when different stakeholders work together around an interoperable software stack.

European car makers’ struggles with the shift to digital are well documented. VW Group’s CEO spoke about the company’s refocused global software architecture and group software stack, to be orchestrated by a ‘reset’ Cariad organization and with eastern (largely based on Xpeng tech) and western (largely based on Rivian tech) variants. The individual pieces aren’t bad, but the convoluted messaging required to suggest they become global in any meaningful sense definitely needs some work.

The ID.Every1 concept car on Volkswagen’s stand.

China

Chinese car makers were very visible, both in the trade show halls and in the public displays in central Munich. Right next to the VW booth, where the German OEM’s leaders were talking about basing cars for the Chinese market on Xpeng’s software, Xpeng was showing off its own cars (and a humanoid robot, and an aerial vehicle). Several Chinese OEMs made big announcements about new or expanded plans to dodge tariffs by building vehicles in or close to the European market, exactly as we predicted last year.

Cars, a robot, and an aerial vehicle from China’s Xpeng.

Urban Mobility

European and Asian OEMs showed their concepts for autonomously moving small groups of people. VW’s autonomous van, the ID.Buzz AD, made an appearance, but it was on the stand of technology partner Mobileye and not anywhere near VW’s cars. The other urban mobility solutions, whether originating from Europe or Asia, were more unusual but remarkably similar in form. Auve Tech, Holon, Pix, and others all had their examples to show.

At the weirder — and smaller — end of the scale, Wolf eMobility offered etu. It’s a battery-powered two-wheeler which fits into small spaces, steers, drives and balances a bit like a Segway, and addresses a wide range of urban mobility needs. And for those times when you’ve got luggage — or children — that you also need to transport? Just tell one or two near-autonomous etus to follow the one you’re controlling. I really want to see this prototype hit the road.

The Pix RoboBus

Logistics

This was it. LOXO‘s Alpha was the one example of moving goods rather than people that I could find across six halls. If there were others, they were remarkably good at hiding.

LOXO Alpha

Focusing On The Mobility Moment At Motorworld

And then we left the trade show’s halls and headed across Munich to Motorworld for our own event. Clients and prospects joined us for an afternoon of deeper discussion of mobility moments, customer expectations… and quantum. Thank you to everyone who took the time, and who engaged so openly with the discussion.

As always, if you have your own perspectives to share, please schedule a briefing and tell us all about them. If you’re a Forrester client and want to discuss (or challenge) our thinking on these topics, please schedule an inquiry or guidance session.