Stars of the Year 2017 awards at the IAA Media Night

“This IAA Commercial Vehicles opens wide the window on the future of transport, logistics and mobility. It shows that we are driven by ideas. The commercial vehicles of tomorrow will be digitally connected. That will bring more safety, more efficiency and more comfort. The advantages of commercial vehicles will be even greater in towns and cities. Urban logistics will become ever-more emissions-free because many of the vans and buses operating in towns will use electric and hybrid drive. The ‘online society’ that has goods delivered to the door needs commercial vehicles more than ever. The market will continue to grow worldwide,” stressed Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), in Hannover at the “IAA Media Night.” He was speaking to more than 600 international representatives of the commercial vehicle industry and the media.

Over 2,000 journalists from 57 countries have been accredited for the 66th IAA Commercial Vehicles. On Wednesday (Press Day) a good 70 press conferences were held in the halls and in the Convention Center, and another 30 will follow on September 22 (Press and Opening Day). The 66th IAA Commercial Vehicles is presenting 332 world premieres and 101 European premieres. The world’s most important trade show for transport, logistics and mobility will be opened officially on September 22 and will run until September 29.

A total of 2,013 exhibitors from 52 countries are displaying their latest developments in Hannover. Foreign exhibitors make up 61 percent. The five best-represented countries are China (229 exhibitors), Italy (145), the Netherlands (121), Turkey (92) and France (85). Just over one exhibitor in three comes from Europe (not including Germany), and one in five comes from Asia.

The entire international value-creation chain for commercial vehicles is represented at the IAA: manufacturers of heavy trucks, vans and buses, trailers and bodies, plus the many supply firms and providers of services (e.g. telematics).

To accentuate the innovation topics of digitization, electric mobility and urban logistics even more, for the first time at the IAA Commercial Vehicles they are being highlighted as the “New Mobility World logistics.” This new initiative aims to put a stronger focus on the future designs, new logistics concepts, offers and services from the exhibitors, and to engage the interest of new companies and visitor groups. The New Mobility World logistics is also a multiplier for future logistics and transportation topics.

The “New Mobility World LIVE” on the open-air site offers plenty of action in dynamic and interactive driving demonstrations. In addition, exhibitors are presenting innovations to trade visitors during the exclusive Guided Tours. Furthermore, about 20 electric vehicles are available for test drives on the exhibition grounds, along with over 40 light and heavy-duty commercial vehicles for test drives on the public roads.

Wissmann emphasized: “When it comes to powertrains we will experience a broad mix in the future. Diesels will continue to play a key role in long-distance traffic – that is, among heavy trucks. The latest exhaust after-treatment technology makes them not only efficient and economical, but also clean. Today’s Euro VI trucks and buses have only very low pollutant emissions, whose reduction has now been successfully completed in commercial vehicles. However, the trend in urban logistics is very clearly moving toward the alternative powertrains. Hybrid and electric vehicles are becoming more and more important. This is true of vans and buses – and soon it will also apply to heavy trucks in local distribution.”

At the Media Night three of the most renowned international awards in the commercial vehicle business were presented for the seventh time since 2004: the “Truck of the Year”, the “Bus of the Year” and the “Van of the Year.” Each of the juries is comprised of well-known commercial vehicle journalists and editors-in-chief from across Europe, who put the products through their paces in numerous tests. “International Truck of the Year 2017” was the Scania “S-series”. The “International Bus of the Year 2017” award went to the Solaris Urbino. The winner of the “International Van of the Year 2017” was the VW Crafter.