Albert Rösti opened the 39th Auto Zürich on Wednesday as the first federal councillor to visit the event in 22 years.
He arrived at Oerlikon 20 minutes late due to traffic jams at the Gubrist tunnel.
Minister Confronts Traffic Pressures
Rösti inaugurated the exhibition at a Wednesday evening pre-opening event in Hall 6. He joined moderator Rainer Maria Salzgeber over a glass of red wine.
Taking the stage after the opening, Blick-Chef Rolf Cavalli challenged the transport minister regarding rising traffic congestion hours on Swiss roads.
Rösti acknowledged missteps in past votes, stating, We made tactical errors in the lost vote on the highway expansion
.
He added that officials are drafting new proposals intended for a public vote around 2028 with plans for a sensible expansion.
Peter Grünenfelder, president of Auto-Schweiz, previously criticized the Federal Council for allegedly penalizing the domestic automotive sector.
Rösti responded that a government minister must remain independent, noting that the cabinet recently balanced the revised CO₂ law with European Union regulations and introduced added flexibility.
Attendance and Exhibitor Records Set at 39th Edition
The 39th edition of the show set attendance and exhibitor records under the direction of managing director Ines Nägeli, alongside colleagues Karl Bieri and Mark Nikolaus Backé.
Nägeli admitted she had tears in her eyes when the show concluded after five days of heavy crowds.
Exhibits ranged from affordable city electric vehicles to million-dollar supercars.
Ski legend Bernhard Russi remarked at the Wednesday VIP party that driving electric feels like joining a sect because drivers must relearn several habits.
New offerings included Zeekr’s 7GT station wagon with 646 horsepower. It was presented by brand head Linus Baumgartner.
Its sister brand Lynk & Co brought the 530-horsepower 07 GT plug-in hybrid shooting brake.
The car is rated for over 1,000 kilometers of total range and up to 200 kilometers of electric range.
Lotus presented the Eletre X, a 5.10-meter superhybrid SUV pairing a turbo four-cylinder engine with two electric motors to produce 952 horsepower and a range exceeding 1,200 kilometers.
High-tech displays included Formula 1 cars from Audi and Cadillac—designated R26 and MAC-26—and Opel’s Formula E racer GSE 27 FE, featuring up to 816 horsepower and all-wheel drive.
XPeng exhibited its near-production flying drone, the X2.
In Hall 6’s classic section, visitors viewed models including a Ferrari F40. They also saw a BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile, a BMW M1, a Ford GT, a Cisitalia 202 Gran Sport, and a Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7.
Other displays featured hypercars like the Aston Martin Vulcan, Koenigsegg Agera R, and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door.
Will the public approve the 2028 highway expansion proposals?
