The country that invented powder and fireworks gave them up for electric devices. The 2018 Winter Olympic Games already showed how China was using drones to create beautiful images in the sky that were previously only attained with fireworks. In its move towards electric mobility, Volkswagen seized that cultural shift to present the ID.4 X and ID.4 Crozz to Chinese customers. The video above reveals what a show that was.

According to Volkswagen, 2,000 drones were used to create the images of the ID.4 in the skies of Shenzen. The first image that appears is that of the Volkswagen logo, followed by many English and Chinese greetings and the ID.4 itself flying. It ends with the promise of “e-mobility for everyone.”

Although it was a clever marketing move, it was also symbolic of the deep changes not only the automotive industry is having to embrace, but also of how that is more widespread than we could imagine. These drones are a fantastic example.

Being powered by electricity, they can be reused multiple times in celebrations that have used tons of powder for ages. Pet owners and parents with babies always complained about the noise fireworks make, but many did not want to give them up. 

What about the spectacle? How could we celebrate New Year’s Eve, Independence Day, Diwali, Hanukkah, etc., without fireworks? These drones can be the answer. Firework manufacturers, please consider moving into other businesses.

If you bring that to the automotive world, that is remarkably similar. The excuse for not going electric was mostly related to performance. Electric cars were appliances. They were golf carts at best until Tesla proved they could be extremely entertaining machines, even if very efficient ones as well.

What about the spectacle? The noises, the burning tires? Well, electric cars can burn rubber too, even if that is not their goal. They can move sideways, and some will go from 0 to 60 mph faster than any other combustion-engined car ever managed to.

The light show Volkswagen did in Shenzen only proves it is all a matter of choice. If Volkswagen chose to go electric, both in the cars it sells and how to present them, why can’t everybody else?

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