A third of the exhibitors at the Barcelona Motor Show will be Chinese.

BarcelonaChinese cars are making a strong entrance in Barcelona. A third of the exhibitors at the Automobile Show, which will be held from May 9 to 18 at the Montjuïc fairgrounds, will be Chinese brands. So far, 26 brands have confirmed their presence, including Catalan manufacturers Seat-Cupra, Ebro, and Silence, but this time, the presence of brands from the Asian giant, such as MG, BYD, and Omoda, will be notable. Tesla, the company of magnate Elon Musk, will also be present.

Stellantis, the group that brings together brands such as Fiat, Chrysler, Peugeot, Citroën, and Opel and the largest car manufacturer in Spain, will not be present again, despite the fact that the show is organized by Fira de Barcelona with the support of the Spanish manufacturers' association Anfac. Mercedes, a German brand that also manufactures in Spain, will also be absent.

Regarding these absences, the president of the show, Enrique Lacalle, was blunt this Thursday: "Whoever doesn't come is making a mistake and leaving space for other brands," as is the case with Chinese manufacturers, interested in showcasing their latest developments in Barcelona—and in Europe—especially in electrified vehicles. Lacalle made it clear that the Barcelona show has established itself as one of the three main shows in the sector in Europe, along with Paris and Brussels.

The president of the Automobile—a former PP politician—made an effort to thank the president of the Generalitat, the socialist Salvador Illa, for his support of this year's show. He also expressed his gratitude for the support of Seat and Cupra at the show, the year that the Martorell brand celebrates its 75th anniversary.

In fact, Seat-Cupra hesitated to attend, and its president, a week ago, criticized the show's model, asking for a greater presence in the city and linking it to events such as Formula E competitions (the electric Formula 1). In this sense, Lacalle thanked Seat for its presence and expressed his willingness to sit down with the president, Wayne Griffiths: "Everything can be improved, and if we all do it together, it will be even better."

More visitors

The trade fair hopes to surpass the number of visitors from the last edition, two years ago. Furthermore, it will coincide with the Barça-Madrid derby, and spectators who attend the match at the Montjuïc stadium will be able to do so—with a ticket—through the Montjuïc exhibition area. This could be the last time the trade fair is held, as renovation work on the pavilions, Plaza Espanya, and Avenida Maria Cristina will begin.

In this regard, the trade fair's director of international business, Ricard Zapatero, pointed out that the organization has other venues to host this type of event and noted that, in addition, Fira de Barcelona has been operating the Circuit de Catalunya since January 1st, which could generate many synergies.