The electric car captures the interest of Automobile Barcelona attendees

Automobile Barcelona has returned to Fira Montjuïc with reticence towards electric cars hovering over its attendees, divided between those who still don't dare to make the change and those who want to, but see it as too expensive. From Saturday, May 13, to Sunday, May 21, the show fills up, especially on weekends, with potential customers who want to see in person the cars they have searched for so many times on the Internet, although there are fewer models on display and less space is occupied each time. But there are also the curious who just want to stroll and see its more than 100 exhibitors, from those who go to spend the day like Dolors, who says it "is a plan for retirees," to groups of boys who cannot yet buy a car but go to see how the market is, regardless of whether they have to skip classes.

Pere is among those who don't know what is better, whether to buy a gasoline car and be able to drive it until 2035, or go for an electric one, although he is concerned about its limited range, even more so in his case, with a daughter who lives abroad which forces him to make long trips to visit her. "The doubt is there," he insists after a while walking around the show organized by Fira de Barcelona, with about thirty participating brands this year, 40% more than in 2021, the first post-coronavirus edition. Then there are Sara and her husband, accompanied by their son in a stroller, who love everything electric but still see it as very expensive and believe they will have to wait a few years to buy one. "And it's getting more expensive," warn Montse and Luís, who also point out how hybrid cars are too big for parking lots that have not grown at the same rate. In that sense, according to a survey conducted at the show, 61.5% of attendees place their purchase budget between 20,000 and 40,000 euros, a figure below the offer of local manufacturers.

Andrés has it a bit clearer; he has already decided on the Kia model he wants, a micro-hybrid. He had looked into it and only wanted to see it in person. He wanted to do the same with the Seat Arona, but the Martorell automaker does not have sales representatives at the show to assist attendees, only giving them the option to leave their contact information to be contacted later, so Andrés has opted for the Korean manufacturer. "I will finish deciding in 24 hours," he assured, not wanting to miss out on the discounts offered at Automobile Barcelona, which can be up to 8,000 euros.

If the gasoline car has to be left behind, the option that most convinces attendees of the Motor Show are non-plug-in hybrids. "It's not excessively expensive," say Maria and Juanjo, a couple from Mallorca who are visiting the city and, coming from the airport, decided to make a stop at Fira Montjuïc when they saw all the cars occupying Avenida de la Reina Maria Cristina. In fact, according to the survey cited above, half of potential buyers are looking for an electrified car, with 34.9% preferring a hybrid or plug-in hybrid car and 17% a fully electric one. Thus, only 20.9% want to stick with gasoline. Of all attendees visiting Automobile Barcelona, 36% come with the intention of buying a vehicle.

Although electric models have been the protagonists of Automobile Barcelona for several editions, there are some who are not entirely convinced, such as Pedro, Guillermo, and Luís, a group of friends who have been visiting the show for more than 30 years. "We are nostalgic for classic cars," they admit, not very enthusiastic about electric cars. However, they see it as a good thing that this year the show includes Motoh! Barcelona, a coincidence that had not occurred since 1999: "It's a very good idea." There are also those who see that many brands are missing and, furthermore, they cannot find the models they are looking for, even when they are the brand's best sellers. "They don't have them," Montse and Luís maintain, confirming how the supply crisis continues to affect the show.

All the questions, and some complaints, that attendees have are formulated at stands like Tesla's, one of the most popular this year, enlivening the atmosphere with its fairground horn noise that sounds from time to time. One of its sales representatives had already sold five cars by mid-morning on Thursday, confirming that interested parties who are somewhat convinced of a model, when they make a 20-minute journey to the Lluís Companys Stadium, return and buy it.

There are also those who approach Tesla because they have doubts about whether there are enough charging points, for which they were shown a map with all the available infrastructure and reassured more than one. According to the survey conducted during the Automobile Show, almost 60% of visitors recognize that the development of the charging point network has a key weight in the purchase decision. This concern is also heard at Wallbox. People also come there to find out if one of their chargers can be installed at home or in a communal parking lot. Some are even already thinking of making it work with solar panels.

Ebro is another stop where people also go to ask where the pick-up with which they are going to revive this historic Spanish brand on the land occupied by Nissan in the Zona Franca can be charged. In addition, their sales representatives have heard a thousand and one anecdotes, with some attendees getting emotional seeing that it had revived, from one who remembered going as a young man with his uncle's van through the countryside or another who recognized that he still uses seven trucks of the brand in his company, assuring that they are the best there are.

And, for memories, those of those who have entered the Seat exhibition for its 70th anniversary, with a small selection of its historic cars, with the 600 taking all the photos. Among them, a former employee of the company, who was reviewing every detail of the models: "I know them all firsthand." He was accompanied by a colleague who lamented the path that a brand that has represented so much for many is following.