The New York International Auto Show is the latest industry exposition to either be cancelled or postponed due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, the show pushed back to August.
The show was originally scheduled to open to media on April 8 at the Javits Center, but it will instead take place beginning Aug. 26. The show will be open to the public from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6.
“While the decision to move the show dates didn’t come easy, our top priority remains with the health and well-being of all those involved in this historic event,” Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, said in a statement.
(Cadillac pulls plug on April debut of Lyriq EV due to coronavirus concerns.)
“We have already been in communication with many of our exhibitors and partners and are confident that the new dates for the 2020 Show will make for another successful event.”
New York joins the Geneva International Motor Show, which was cancelled last month, and the Beijing Auto Show which has been postponed until “this summer” as auto shows affected by the coronavirus. Cadillac also cancelled the April debut of its Lyriq electric sport-utility vehicle.
New York is working to deal with a growing coronavirus problem, drawing attention to its efforts to get ahead of the outbreak that has seen head of the New York Port Authority become infected as the National Guard is cordoning off New Rochelle in an attempt to keep the virus contained.
(Auto industry waiting for impact of coronavirus in the U.S.)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at a press conference Tuesday referred to the one-mile square area being set up as a containment zone.
Calling the show off now allows the automakers to eliminate a repeat of the Geneva show, which was cancelled just two days before the show was set to open to the media. Most of the automakers scrambled, making their introductions at their own facilities via the internet.
The lone exception being Swedish super car maker Koenigsegg, whose founder Christian von Koenigsegg rolled out two new vehicles, including a four-door hybrid named the Gemera on the show floor with the booth surrounded the trunks of other automakers.
(Automakers rein in and even ban travel as coronavirus epidemic spread.)
The next major auto show in the U.S. is the North American International Auto Show, which used to be held in early January, but elected to move the show to June two years ago in attempt to improve attendance by automakers, which were beginning to cut down on the number of auto shows they participate in as well as competition in the form of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the week before.
