2020 North American International Auto Show scheduled for June in Detroit is cancelled
The TCF Center will be used as a field hospital for Covid-19 victims
Detroit Auto Show will resume in 2021
The 2020 North American International Auto Show held annually in Detroit will be cancelled this year. Show organizers have opted to cancel the Detroit Auto Show outright as opposed to rescheduling for later. The next NAIAS will therefore be held in June 2021.
The TCF Center (formally known as Cobo Hall) located in downtown Detroit where the show takes place will be converted into a field hospital to treat Covid-19 victims. Michigan has recorded 3,957 cases of coronavirus in just two weeks with 92 deaths.
The Detroit Auto Show has historically been held in early January but this year was scheduled to move to summer. The change was meant to reduce competition with the Consumer Electronics Show which is also held in January in Las Vegas and give the NAIAS greater visibility. Moving away from the cold of January in Detroit was also a welcomed move.
“We fully support NAIAS organizers in their postponement,” Ford said in a statement. “The health and safety of our community and those working throughout the industry is our top priority.”
The 2020 NAIAS is the latest auto show to be canceled or disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In March the Geneva Motor Show was canceled and the New York Auto Show scheduled for April has been postponed to August or September. Granted, there’s no confirmation New York will be able to welcome an auto show in just a few months.
The coronavirus has also forced the closure of countless production facilities worldwide and essentially brought the automotive industry to a full stop.
