Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for technology openness and more flexible EU regulation, pledging government support for an industry he said employs over 770,000 people.
• VDA president Hildegard Müller demanded a Realitätscheck on the 2035 sales ban and tightening CO2 fleet limits, arguing consumer EV adoption remains insufficient.
• A high‑level meeting in Brussels with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and industry leaders is scheduled for Friday to discuss possible adjustments.
• The VDA confirmed the IAA will stay in Munich for six more years, extending the show for three additional editions.
• The show pairs major EV premieres such as BMW’s iX3 and Mercedes’ first electric GLC with a larger Chinese presence—116 of 748 exhibitors—while activists stage protests including Attac’s “Autosaurus” and actions by Extinction Rebellion.