Analysis: These manufacturers are the winners of the IAA Mobility 2025
Analysis: These manufacturers are the winners of the IAA Mobility 2025
The new location of the IAA Mobility – on the Munich exhibition grounds and in the public space in the middle of the city – seems to have finally emancipated itself. This is the third time that the mobility trade fair has been held in the Bavarian capital, after many years in Frankfurt. And: the modernized IAA is back as a pacemaker in the global mobility discourse.
At the beginning of September, the IAA dominated the business and automotive media worldwide, as the latest study by the international provider of global media monitoring and social listening PRophet Media Intelligence shows, which took a close look at the public discourse surrounding the IAA Mobility.
One result: even before the start, some manufacturers provided initial impetus with exciting concepts – but the decisive boost came on the press day on September 8. Within three days, more content was created than in one month of the pre-show phase.
USA in 1st place in IAA reporting
First and foremost, the regional weighting of the reports and social media posts is surprising. Although electric leader Tesla has avoided the IAA this year and US manufacturers are underrepresented at the event, the
In contrast to the omnipresence of Chinese brands such as BYD, Dongfeng, Leapmotor or GAC in the Munich exhibition halls, the 14% mentions from China are far less significant than many expected, but are nevertheless clear evidence of the growing international resonance and the challenger role of Chinese OEMs.
In addition, the approximately 23% of all contributions from Asia-Pacific, South America and other regions once again underline the global mobility debate and the obviously well-done homework of the communication teams of manufacturers, but also of the trade fair itself.
German brands set the pace – also in public discourse
Despite the international nature of the media presence, the analysis shows an almost unexpected dominance of German manufacturers: VW, BMW and Mercedes-Benz secure the top positions in the Group ranking for the IAA – driven by premieres of new e-models such as the BMW iX 3 and strong concept presentations. Although the competitors from Asia are gaining weight, they only secure the lower places in the model ranking: Leapmotor Lafa 5 (6th place), Xpeng P7 (7th place) and Kia EV2 Concept (8th place).
Social media behind editorial reporting
The clear dominance of editorial online media over social media is also surprising. Although the mix during the trade fair days (compared to the pre-reporting phase) shifted significantly in favor of social media, for example on X, YouTube or Reddit, due to the easier content creation in the exhibition halls and at the freely accessible IAA Mobility Festival in downtown Munich, it still only accounted for just over a third of the discourse (36%). This dynamic is primarily driven by videos, reels and corporate posts from manufacturers. However, high-reach automotive media also continue to set the tone and ensure that product premieres such as electric SUVs and new e-models dominate the agenda.
Climate, e-mobility and high-tech topics dominate the agenda
However, IAA reporting is no longer just about product presentations. The balancing act between CO2/climate and the combustion engine has been one of the top 5 topics in the IAA context for a few years now and often appears in a neutral to critical context. The other relevant IAA topics: E-mobility, autonomous driving, digitalization & connected mobility are largely discussed positively as typical trade fair topics.
