More than 150 world premieres and new products at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026

IAA TRANSPORTATION confirms its role as the leading international event for the future of road freight transport. With more than 70 percent of exhibitors coming from outside Germany, the 2026 (Sept 15-20, Messe, Hannover) show holds the high level of international participation reached at the last edition. Roughly one third of all exhibitors at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 are taking part for the first time this year. In total, exhibitors are presenting more than 150 world premieres and new products.

This year’s theme, “We Deliver”, sets the tone as exhibitors showcase digital and climate-neutral mobility solutions for the future of road freight transport. The focus is on innovative drive systems, digital technologies, and solutions for a zero-emission, high-performance commercial vehicle industry.

Road transport accounted for roughly 84 percent of transport volume in Germany in 2024. Last year, road freight in Germany covered more than 20 billion kilometers and moved around 2.8 billion metric tons of goods. “Our industry is not just one part of the economy among many. It is a cornerstone of our economy. Around 140,000 people are employed directly in the commercial vehicle industry – roughly one in five automotive industry jobs in Germany,” according to Hildegard Müller, president of the organising VDA.

Müller underlines the industry’s ambition to climate protection: “Around 30 percent of road transport CO₂ emissions in Europe come from heavy-duty vehicles. German manufacturers have already developed the technologies needed: battery-electric trucks with ranges of more than 500 kilometers are available today. Hydrogen trucks achieve ranges of roughly 700 to 800 kilometers. Now it is Berlin and Brussels that must deliver: we need the right conditions for charging infrastructure and hydrogen refueling stations, the grid connections to go with them, affordable electricity prices, and a reliable power supply.”

Figures recently published by the German Association of the Automotive Industry on charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure in Europe demonstrate this challenge. By 2030, around 35,000 publicly available fast-charging points for heavy-duty vehicles will be needed across Europe, some 4,000 of them in Germany. In total, up to 50,000 truck-capable charging points will be required EU-wide. Currently, however, a mere 730 charging points with a minimum output of over 350 kW are available EU-wide exclusively for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. At mixed-use locations, there are just under 2,000 public charging points for heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

Hydrogen infrastructure is lagging just as far behind: only around 216 hydrogen refueling stations for road freight are currently available across Europe. The VDA expects that by 2030, Europe will require around 2,000 truck-capable hydrogen refueling stations with a capacity of roughly 2 metric tons of hydrogen per day.

Exhibition in Hannover
Truck, van  and body manufacturers are once again a central element of IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026. With more than 766 exhibitors, suppliers remain the backbone of the event. Nearly one in two exhibitors comes from this segment. Body manufacturers are the second-largest exhibitor group at IAA TRANSPORTATION after suppliers, with 240 exhibitors.

Visitors won’t just see how far the transformation has already come at the exhibitor booths – they can experience it for themselves. The IAA Test Drives schedule has once again been expanded significantly for 2026. A total of 84 vehicles from 17 exhibitors are available for test drives on the show grounds and on public roads. Visitors with the appropriate driver’s license can book test drives on site at the departure terminal in Hall 14/15.

Drivers’ and Family Weekend
On September 19 and 20, IAA TRANSPORTATION puts the people behind logistics center stage. VDA Managing Director, Jürgen Mindel: “With the Drivers’ and Family Weekend, we want above all to recognize the people whose daily work keeps the economy running in Germany and Europe. It is important work, but for drivers it is often a hard job. That is why we want to give drivers and their families a special experience at IAA TRANSPORTATION with the Drivers’ and Family Weekend – fittingly, on World Children’s Day, which takes place on September 20.”

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