Equip Auto opens in Lyon with a focus on innovation and sustainability

Equip Auto Lyon closed its first edition on September 30, after gathering for three days more than 550 exhibitors linked essentially to the world of aftermarket, with a strong presence of Chinese exhibitors, notable representation of Turkish companies and individual participation of entities such as the Tunisian Automotive Association and FIPA, the investment agency of this North African country.

In response to a question from AutoRevista, Equip Auto president Philippe Baudin pointed out that "it is not yet possible to know when the next edition of Equip Auto Lyon will be held, as it will depend on the exhibitors. Our calendar focuses on a new edition of Equip Auto Algeria in March 2024 and in the same year Equip Auto on Tour will tour Montpellier, Rennes and Reims. In 2025, we will celebrate, in October, the 50th anniversary of Equip Auto Paris."

The event was held in parallel with the Lyon Motor Show, an event of commercial character and formulas for attracting the general public, with a high presence of car brands of all profiles (with more than 350 vehicles on display), with the presence of models manufactured in Spain such as SEAT Arona, CUPRA Formentor, Ford Kuga, Citroën C4 X, Volkswagen T-Cross or Renault Austral, including previews of the Nuvo Espace and Rafale models, soon to be manufactured at Renault Palencia.

Spanish presence

As in previous editions in Paris, the Spanish Association of Automotive Suppliers (SERNAUTO), represented by Jaime Peláez, sales technician, in collaboration with ICEX Spain Export and Investment, has organized the presence of the "Spain Brand" at this event to reinforce the positioning of Spanish automotive suppliers and give visibility to the Spanish industry as a reference business partner in the international sphere.

During the days of the fair, Spanish suppliers such as ACI Avesa, Ajusa and Future Extraction exhibited their latest advances in vehicle maintenance and repair, a wide range of technologically advanced products with high safety and quality standards at competitive prices. In 2022, France became the main trading partner of the Spanish automotive supplier sector with sales of 4,005 million euros (+29.9% year-on-year), displacing Germany to the second position.

Given the importance of this market and the positioning of this fair as a reference for the French aftermarket, SERNAUTO will also take the opportunity to promote internationally the digital platform  Autoparts from Spain , an initiative composed of leading automotive suppliers in the sector that aims to highlight the supply of components manufactured in Spain and the export capacity of Spanish automotive suppliers.

Innovation Awards

On the opening day, the International Automotive Innovation Awards were presented. In the Engineering category, Michelin won the award for its Uptis Tyre, a prototype of a puncture-proof tire assembled without compressed air for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. In Bodywork, the award went to BASF Coatings Services' Amplifier R-M, an applicable coating with considerable savings in cost, time and material usage. 

In Repair and Maintenance, recognition went to Mahle Aftermarket Service Solutions for its Battery Pro E-Health Charge, a vehicle charge data analysis system. Finally, in Professional Services, the award went to EVorkshop, for its battery repair and upgrade system for electric vehicles.

Lea este artículo en castellano