Automechanika Frankfurt 2024 review: Part one
Automechanika Frankfurt was back with a bang in September, with industry stakeholders – manufacturers, suppliers, bodyshops, distributors, workshops and enthusiasts – all in attendance. After, arguably, a tame return after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, this year felt like ‘business as usual’ with bursting halls and swarms of visitors. Tom Henman reports.
After a relatively smooth journey to Frankfurt – the rapid taxi ride to the Raddison Blu was an eye opener at the very least! – and a spot of sightseeing in the ‘old town’ on the Monday evening, the opening morning of Automechanika Frankfurt took me to Schaeffler’s stand, and, specifically, my first press conference of this year’s exhibition.
The mesmerising, movable digital stand, emphasising Schaeffler’s transition to Vehicle Lifetime Solutions, was enough to wake anyone – forget the coffee! Its CEO, Jens Schüler, was brought to the stage and eyes were glued to him, as he laid out the company’s vision to “sharpen innovation, progress and greater customer orientation”.
This was the first time that Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket had broken cover as VLS, so, understandably, there was interest in this. Jens joked early on that he never liked the word ‘aftermarket’ so was pleased to see it ditched and that VLS was settled on to give the company “more space to develop our business inside the evolving ecosystem” and “provide solutions for the entire lifespan of a vehicle”.
Ultimately, though, products and technology took centre stage with the repair and service portfolio for combustion engines, hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) showcased – all under the motto: ‘Sustaining Motion. Pioneering Future.’
There was also curiosity among the journalists in the room about the age of the car parc, and Jens was asked what he expects the lifetime of a vehicle to be in the future – he responded: “I don’t have a crystal ball, but we see that the ICE portion of the vehicle car parc is getting older and older… What we sell into the market today, from an application standpoint, there’s a huge portion that we sell for vehicles that are older than 12 years already… We want to prepare for a scenario where there’s an older and older car parc and we need to remain competitive with our product offer. Of course, customers still want to receive a quality product from us but at a right price.
“Switching to EVs, that’s a big question. We know that as the battery turns to a 70% state of health, the residual value declines, so that suggests a low age of the car parc. If the battery riddle is resolved, it could be these vehicles last even longer. For batteries in EVs, we still have to see how that shakes out.”
Sticking with EVs, the final question was whether EV battery repair could be the solution and if Schaeffler would pursue that route – Jens responded: “Nobody in the industry can walk around the battery (issue) moving forward – it is such a determining factor in the future… I am pessimistic on repair… On the refurbishment side, I think that is more promising, but we need more volume and more standardisation in the battery to refurbish.”
And so, the first press conference came to an end, which then triggered tours of the halls and a dash to reach back-to-back meetings. At these events, there are always ‘gifts’ to take away – and they are getting quirkier year-on-year! MEYLE offered me its own brew of lager, but, unfortunately, it was a bit too early!
On the topic of MEYLE, I was impressed by its simple yet classy display; there was a special Tesla module on display too. I cannot be sure, but in terms of staff numbers, MEYLE must’ve been close to the top – they were everywhere! The company used Automechanika Frankfurt to “respond to market demand for better parts for EVs and ICEs with the launch of new products”. This included an expansion of its eSolutions range, including new solutions for Tesla vehicles – hence the display module. There were also new preassembled tie-rods, improved rear axle control arms for VW, new driveshafts and other products for ICEs.
Moving through the day first, pausing briefly for lunch in the press room – we are looked after! – I caught up with some old friends of the magazine and see their show preview visuals come to life. These included Comline Group, Nissens, Simply Brands and Town & Country Covers…
… Continued in part two!
