IAA Commercial Vehicle Show: a class apart

By N. Balasubramanian

Despite global industrial slowdown, the IAA commercial vehicle show held in Hanover in September proved why Europe is still the driving force of the commercial vehicle segment when it comes to latest products and technologies.

At the 64th edition of the world’s largest commercial vehicle fair for mobility, transport and logistics, vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers, application builders and related companies were out in full force to showcase their latest products and solutions.

In fact, there were no signs of a conservative approach from the 1,904 exhibitors at the show, which witnessed 354 world premieres, of which more than two-thirds were from the supplier fraternity. The show had exhibitors from 46 countries across the globe and also had a host of country pavilions, including separate ones for China, India, Turkey and Italy.

Euro VI was the main focus at the show, as European manufacturers unveiled path-breaking innovations and technologies, reiterating Europe’s leadership status when it comes to bringing in new solutions to the market.

The products and solutions on display revolved around key aspects such as performance, safety, fuel efficiency and emission levels, apart from the focus on improving driving comfort and design capabilities.

The show also covered special country events, including India Day, China Day and Turkey Day that provided a good forum for market-specific discussions. The India Day show witnessed good turnout of representatives of leading global majors, signalling their interest and commitment to the Indian market. The event included presentations by Mr. S. Sandilya, SIAM Chairman, Mr. Surinder Kanwar, ACMA President, and Mr. Vinnie Mehta, ACMA Executive Director, on behalf of the Indian automotive industry, while Mr. Marc Llistosella, Managing Director, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, gave an interesting overview of the potential challenges facing global companies that enter the Indian market as new-comers.

A presentation, from the perspective of an Indian supplier, was also made by Mr. Kaniappan, Whole-time Director, WABCO India.

As Mr. Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), remarked at the final press conference of IAA 2012: “To put it in a nutshell: this IAA Commercial Vehicles, with more world premieres, more exhibitors, more space and more visitors, is a resounding success!”

In our next section, we take a look at some of the products and solutions showcased at the world event.