16/10/2026
Insights from IAA Transportation 🚛⚡
IAA Transportation offered a fascinating look at how quickly the commercial vehicle industry is evolving across vehicle concepts, modularity, software, energy, and the ecosystems developing around them.
One of the things that stood out was the growing presence of compact L7/L7e type vehicles. From concepts such as Bako Motors to solutions from larger OEMs, what once felt like a niche category increasingly looks like an emerging segment for urban logistics in Europe.
But beyond the vehicles themselves, some of the most interesting insights came from the conversations at the stands.
At Zevim, a discussion around modular heavy duty equipment quickly developed into a broader conversation about the entire upfitter value chain, from the base vehicle and components to configuration, installation and ultimately the customer specific working vehicle.
With Sibros, we explored how connected vehicle platforms can bring together OTA updates, vehicle data and remote diagnostics, creating a shared digital backbone for OEMs, upfitters and fleet customers.
K2 Mobility / PANION highlighted another important direction: connecting vehicle data, charging infrastructure, energy, routes and fleet operations into one ecosystem. The vehicle can no longer be viewed independently from everything happening around it.
Other conversations reinforced the same trend from different perspectives:
🔹 Quanten Technologies exploring how Europe can strengthen its own technology, IP and industrial value creation.
🔹 DeepFusion AI demonstrating the growing importance of software, perception and sensor fusion in future vehicle intelligence.
🔹 Nixxen showing how new applications can emerge by combining existing platforms with alternative drivetrains and architectures.
🔹 Blockbrain opening up discussions around AI, engineering knowledge and how organisations can make information more accessible across complex systems.
🔹 Hydrogen and fuel cell technology particularly impressive in heavy duty applications, with vehicles, components, storage and infrastructure increasingly forming a broader industrial ecosystem.
What I enjoyed most about IAA was the opportunity to stand next to real hardware and speak directly with the people developing it. A conversation might start with a vehicle or component and, ten minutes later, lead to supply chains, business models, energy infrastructure, software or the future of the industry.
My key takeaway:
The commercial vehicle of the future is becoming less of a finished product and more of a configurable platform surrounded by an ecosystem of technology providers, upfitters, energy systems, software and services.
That shift creates exciting opportunities, and IAA Transportation offered a great glimpse into what that future could look like.
