Car technology is transforming. So is the way people find out about new cars. Buyers are increasingly preferring the internet to find out about new models.

Jaguar I-Pace © VanderWolfImages _ Dreamstime.com
In addition, presenting at car shows is expensive.
Jaguar Land Rover, the maker of the Jaguar I-Pace, 2019’s Car of the Year, seems to have recognised these shifts and isn’t present at the Geneva show this year.
Other notable car makers absent this year include Ford, Volvo, Hyundai and Opel.
Despite the absence of these large car makers, innovative new electric cars abound, particularly highly expensive electric super cars made by small firms.
One example is the Hispano Suiza Carmen, a 750 kW (1,019 PS) electric car with a carbon fibre chassis that can reach 100 km/h in less than three seconds. 19 of these cars, priced at €1.5m + VAT, will be produced from late 2019 until 2021.
- The problem with electric cars (Le News)
Some electric car makers have a habit of describing their vehicles as zero emission. In reality, they’re only as clean as the electricity they consume, much of which is drawn from the grid. Producing electricity is still a dirty business. In 2017, 20% of electricity fed into the grid in Europe was produced by burning coal, according Sandbag.
In 2018, Switzerland imported around 23,000 GWh of electricity, mainly from Germany, and exported around 32,000 GWh, mainly to Italy. Germany is Europe’s largest coal and lignite consumer.
And while small electric cars have lower emissions than virtually all fossil-fuel-powered vehicles, some high-powered electric vehicles produce more greenhouse gas than some diesels, once electricity emissions are included.
The Geneva Motor Show opens at 2pm at Palexpo on Thursday 7 March 2019 and runs until 17 March 2019. Entry tickets are CHF 16 for adults and CHF 9 for children.
More on this:
Practical information on the Geneva Motor Show (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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