FILE PHOTO: Police officers stand guard at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany, September 13, 2019. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski

BERLIN (Reuters) - Frankfurt will no longer host the German auto show from 2021 after almost 70 years as the home of the annual exhibition of the industry’s latest innovations, the VDA auto association said late on Wednesday.

Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne, Munich and Stuttgart had all presented interesting ideas about how urban and sustainable mobility could be improved in their regions, according to the auto association.

The VDA said it has decided to continue talks with Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and would pick one of the cities in the coming weeks.

The move comes as the auto association is trying to revamp its image as the industry adjusts to stricter regulations following an emissions-cheating scandal and manage a broader shift away from combustion engines toward electric cars.