EVERYTHING Electric CEO Dan Caesar insists that motor shows are not dead, instead they are undergoing a significant change, reflective of the automotive industry as a whole.

Historically, international motor shows have given car makers the opportunity to showcase concept cars, new models, and emerging technologies to prospective buyers, automotive enthusiasts, the media, and the wider industry. 

However, in recent years, some of the world’s longest running events have struggled, or ceased to exist entirely.

Everything Electric CEO Dan Caesar

For example, the Geneva International Motor Show was held for the final time in 2024, bringing an end to an event that had been held for more than a century. 

Organisers cited a lack of manufacturer interest, the uncertain state of the industry, and competition from other European motor shows as the key factors in the event’s demise. 

The Frankfurt Motor Show – which ran in odd number years and was first held in 1951 – suffered a similar fate, running its last show in 2019 amid declining public attendance and manufacturer presence. 

Attendance numbers for the Detroit Auto Show – another historically significant event on the automotive calendar – have also seen a sharp decline, dropping from 774,179 people in 2019 to 275,000 in 2025.

Under these circumstances (especially in a post-pandemic world) the future of the motor show – in the traditional sense at least – has been called into question in recent years. 

However, while events such as Geneva and Frankfurt have been axed, others have flourished.

One of those shows is Everything Electric – taking its name from the Everything Electric YouTube channel founded by Robert Llewellyn – which has been held in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. 

Dan Caesar, Everything Electric CEO and presenter, believes electric vehicles have revitalised both the car market and the motor show. 

“I don’t want to upset any kind of petrol heads, but the reality is that I was a petrol head once, just like everyone else. I got into EVs quite a few years ago and I realised they were really good. And now we’re kind of popularising that as EVs become more mainstream,”  he told GoAutoNews Premium at Everything Electric Sydney. 

“I do genuinely think EVs have breathed fresh life into the market.

“I know it’s probably a tough time for car companies because they’re trying to work out – do they push really hard on electric, or do they push hybrids, or a mixture of both? 

“I appreciate it’s a difficult moment for a lot of manufacturers around the world, but I think car design had become a bit staid, and I think it’s completely changing now.

“Cars look a bit different. There’s loads of tech packed into these cars. They feel much more modern than they did some 10 years or so ago.”

Mr Caesar said the growth of the Everything Electric model reflects the increasing level of interest in electric vehicles from the public in markets across the globe.

“This is our 26th show around the world. We’ve seen enormous growth in that time frame. More and more people are buying battery EVs. More and more companies are coming in, not least from China, of course,” he continued.

“It’s good for the consumer because (the) competition is just unbelievably fierce.

“Test drives are a big part of our shows, and actually they really help consumers when they haven’t maybe driven an EV before. Often that seals the deal. It’s a great format for us.

“I think the motor show isn’t dead, it’s just going through a bit of change, like the whole car market, really.”

Australia is proving to be an important market for Everything Electric, which Mr Caesar says is due to the rapid growth of the electrified vehicle space locally.

However he reports that attendance is slowing in North America and the United Kingdom. 

“We’ve had some very big UK shows, and the ones we run now are smaller,” he admitted.

“The market has sort of slowed down in the UK. We’ve done shows in North America, and that’s quite difficult at the moment because of what’s going on in the US, in particular. That has infected Canada as well.”

“Australia is great for us because it’s English speaking. It’s a fast growth market. But it’s not purely pragmatic and cynical.

“We actually really like doing the show. It’s quite an upbeat, positive show. It’s a really nice country, so we’ve really enjoyed doing stuff in Australia. We’ve done Sydney, we’ve done Melbourne. We certainly would love to do other places in the future as well,” he hinted.

Mr Caesar says Everything Electric is eyeing a return to Sydney and Melbourne, while a Brisbane event sits high on its wishlist.

“We’re just talking with (Sydney Showground) about coming back next year,” he said.“We did a Melbourne show last year, and we definitely would like to do Melbourne again. We definitely like to do Brisbane as well, but at the moment Sydney is next year, and then we’ll see.”

Over 100 electrified vehicles took to the stands at this year’s Everything Electric show in Sydney, with the event playing host to 12 major vehicle debuts.

A total of 37,421 people attended across three days, with more than 5300 electric vehicle test drives.

Everything Electric hasn’t been the only successful motor show in recent times.

For example, this year’s Beijing International Automotive Exhibition – also known as Auto China 2026 – was widely regarded as the world’s largest motor show, with 1451 vehicles on display and attracting nearly 1.3 million attendees over 10 days. 

Auto China’s success highlighted the relevance of both electrified and Chinese vehicles in the modern automotive landscape. 

On local shores, the 2026 Melbourne Motor Show – which featured a host of electrified offerings – attracted record crowds, with an estimated attendance of up to 120,000 visitors across three days, up from around 45,000 the year prior. 

At the time, GoAutoNews Premium reported the 2026 Melbourne Motor Show played host to one of the largest motor shows in recent memory, the three-day event featuring more brands over more floor space than previously, attracting record crowds.

This masthead reported that, in terms of scale and public interest, it was reminiscent of the last Australian International Motor Show to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) back in 2011. 

Organisers estimate that as many as 120,000 visitors attended the sold-out three-day event (up 45,000+ from 2025), doubling its previous footprint by using all 20 MCEC bays. 

Primarily centred on Chinese new energy manufacturers – including BYD, Denza, Farizon, GAC, Geely, GWM, JAC, MG Motor, Polestar, Smart, and Zeekr – the event was balanced by more established players that included Harley Davidson, Honda, Isuzu Ute, Kia, Renault, Skoda, Tesla, and Volkswagen, alongside dozens of aftermarket suppliers, car clubs, and automotive accessory vendors. 

In a boon for crowds, the 2026 Melbourne Motor Show also hosted the Australian public debut of several new models from a wide range of brands. 

Some brands also brought in models sold in other markets and under consideration for Australia, displaying them to gauge public reaction.