Vienna Drive” as a crowd puller

Vienna Drive” as a crowd puller

On Thursday last week, the Viennese vehicle trade's new mobility fair “Vienna Drive” opened its doors in Hall B of the Vienna Trade Fair - at the same time as the Holiday Fair. In addition to potential car buyers and private interested parties, many industry representatives also accepted the invitation to find out about innovations, developments and important topics and to seek dialogue with one another. Stephanie Ernst, chairwoman of the Vienna State Vehicle Trade Committee as initiator, was extremely pleased with the enormous response: "We saw in advance that the 'Vienna Drive' was very well received by our own industry, but also by many other mobility providers, and the media interest was also huge right from the start. However, the fact that we were able to start the four-day trade fair so successfully in terms of visitor numbers exceeds our expectations." The “Vienna Drive” should therefore establish itself as an annual fixture, make the industry and its products visible and promote solidarity within the entire mobility industry, “because many challenges can only be solved together”.

Extensive offer

In total, around 270 vehicles were available at the Vienna Drive organized by Austrian Exhibition Experts (AAE), but the trade fair offered much more - from accessory providers and after-sales service offerings to information on driving licenses and insurance through to mobility clubs, vehicle conversions for people with disabilities and camping attachments for cars and cargo bikes. The offer was rounded off by a traffic kindergarten, a model car racing track, a reading lounge, a food corner and much more. This means that the entire available area of ​​over 7,000 square meters was completely booked and “Vienna Drive” was a successful counterpart to the Holiday Fair. Although the “Vienna Drive” took the place of the Vienna Autoshow, it pursued a completely different concept. Dealers and companies from the greater Vienna area presented their products and offered around 70 vehicles for immediate test drives. Visitors were also able to submit a purchase application on site.

Exciting industry evening

The industry evening on the first day of the trade fair was also a complete success with more than 300 guests. “We initially planned for 150 visitors, but then we could hardly fend off the inquiries,” says Stephanie Ernst. As part of the industry evening, there was also an exciting discussion on questions about the various drive options. Helmut Geil, Managing Director of Dekra Austria, dispelled the bad reputation surrounding the durability of electric car batteries. With a pioneering test procedure, the testing company was able to prove that batteries deliver high performance for much longer than is often assumed. Stephan Schwarzer, Secretary General of the e-Fuel Association, then tried to refute the prejudices that climate-neutral fuels cost too much and are therefore not sustainable. Ultimately, said host Stephanie Ernst in her closing statement, “it is up to the customers which form of drive they choose”. As the new registrations for 2024 that have just been presented show, individual mobility is enjoying increasing demand again. The increase of 6.1 percent to over 250,000 vehicles was primarily driven by increased interest in gasoline and hybrid vehicles, says Ernst: “It is therefore important that we give people a choice.”

Celebrity guests

At the industry evening, Chairwoman Stephanie Ernst and Managing Director Leonhard Palden were able to welcome, among others: Klaus Edelsbrunner (Federal Committee Lobmann Vehicle Trade), Burkhard Ernst (Federal Committee Lobmann-Deputy Vehicle Trade), Stefan Hutschinski (Retail Spokesperson Federal Committee Vehicle Trade), Günther Kerle (Chairman of the Working Group of Automobile Importers), Christian Pesau (Managing Director of the Working Group of Automobile Importers), Margarete Gumprecht (Division Chairman of the Trade Department). WK Vienna), Georg Ringseis (Vehicle Technology Guild Master of the WK Vienna), Davor Sertic (Division Chairman Transport and Traffic of the WK Vienna), Martin Raimundgehenr (Group Chairman Energy Trade of the WK Vienna), Helmut Mojescick (Special Group Chairman of Insurance Brokers of the WK Vienna), Karl Schlosser (Head of the Driving Schools Department of the WK ein), as well as the who's who of the Viennese vehicle trade with representatives of all major brands and Car dealerships. A look back at the event shows: the concept has completely proven itself. The opportunity to present new products and ultimately be able to sell them on site in addition to comprehensive consultations was a perfect combination. Stephanie Ernst, concluded: “I would like to thank all exhibitors, partners and sponsors for their trust and commitment, because that was the only way we were able to pull off this feat,” she emphasizes and adds: “Now we are gathering the experiences of all exhibitors and stakeholders, evaluating exactly where we can still make adjustments, and if our committed vehicle dealers move forward with us again, nothing will stand in the way of Vienna Drive 2026.”