IAA Transportation 2026: what decision-makers should take away

Wrap-up in five sentences

1. Range is no longer an argument against the e-truck: MAN eTGX 660 km, Volvo FH Aero Electric up to 700 km, Mercedes eActros 600 500 km – all in series production or available to order.
2. Charging time still is: MCS was demonstrated at 30–45 min, but Germany has only around 18 public MCS sites in operation (Aral pulse, HoLa corridor A2, Dettendorfer, ESG-Solar); Milence is retrofitting, and the German federal government is launching 836 points at 124 rest areas by 2030.
3. Diesel remains the backbone and residual-value anchor: 92.1% of EU new registrations in H1 2026, new diesel drivetrains at Daimler (Actros) and MAN (New TGX) – which turns the current generation into the previous one.
4. Hydrogen remains small-series and contract-bound: Mercedes NextGenH2 (100 units from late 2026, over 1,000 km), MAN hTGX; public €12.85/kg, €8/kg on contract in two regions.
5. China has arrived: BYD ETT 44 (651 kWh, 1.5 MW, from Q2 2027), Windrose with EU type approval and a €198k list price, Farizon Homtruck (European premiere, dealer network and parts warehouse in Gaggenau), Sany e263 competing on price, Sinotruk/SuperPanther assembled at Steyr – residual-value history: none.

Vehicles presented

• MAN eTGX (BEV): 552 kWh / 660 km (4×2), 644 kWh / 720 km (6×2), MCS. Orders 2026, deliveries 2027. National long-haul becomes plannable electric as soon as MCS corridors are in place.
• MAN New TGX (diesel): 2026/27. The current TGX becomes the previous generation – residual-value effect from announcement.
• Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 as a mega tractor unit (BEV): 621 kWh / 500 km, MCS up to 1 MW. In series production. Reference vehicle for volume traffic, widest service coverage.
• Mercedes-Benz Actros with new drivetrain (diesel): 2026/27. Residual-value pressure on the current-generation Actros L.
• Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 (fuel cell, liquid H₂): over 1,000 km, 85 kg tank, small series of 100 units from late 2026. Watch it, don't plan around it.
• Volvo FH Aero Electric / Renault E-Tech T (BEV): 780 kWh / 600–700 km, up to 48 t, MCS. Orderable since June 2026, series production since September 2026. Largest battery on the market.
• Scania 45 R/S BEV: 560 kWh / up to 530 km, MCS 750 kW orderable. IAA premiere: battery behind the cab for up to 720 km.
• Tesla Semi (European version): 548 kWh / 550 km at 40 t, Megacharger 800 kW, no sleeper cab. European deliveries 2027, 21 Megacharger sites planned – not a decision factor for 2026/27.
• BYD ETT 44 (BEV): 651 kWh, up to 600 km, MCS 1.5 MW. European premiere, deliveries from Q2 2027, dealer network being built.
• Windrose Global E700 (BEV): 705 kWh, 670 km, MCS 870 kW, €198k list price excl. taxes. EU type approval, first deliveries Q3 2026.
• Farizon Homtruck (BEV): European premiere, dealer network DE/FR, 2026/27. Price advantage versus unknown residual value.
• Sany e263 (BEV): aggressive pricing, market entry. Check service and second-hand market.
• Sinotruk / SuperPanther (diesel + BEV): assembled at Steyr Automotive since March 2026. Localised, but no residual-value history.

Trends and what they mean for the decision

• Megawatt charging: demonstrated by Daimler, MAN, Scania, Milence. In 2026 plan only depot and CCS routes; factor in MCS from 2027 on the A2/A7/A9 and the Rhine-Alpine corridor.
• Second e-truck generation: 600–720 km, 10% more usable energy. Sell first-generation e-trucks (300–400 km) before 2027; place new orders on the new generation.
• Diesel generation change: build the model cycle into the holding period – vehicles of the outgoing generation are valued differently from the moment of announcement.
• Chinese manufacturers with structures: priced 20–30% below EU manufacturers (estimate), parts warehouses and dealer networks being built. Buy only with a buy-back or residual-value guarantee.
• Trailers go electric and intelligent: e-trailers, electric refrigeration, AI sensors. Cost the e-trailer as an interim step for existing fleets, refrigerated transport first.
• Autonomous and software-defined: Level 4 in hub-to-hub traffic. Not a decision for 2026/27 – but vehicles with OTA capability hold their residual value better.

What was missing at the show

Reliable residual values for e-trucks, charging prices on contract, waiting times for grid connections, the answer to three-shift operation without a charging window. Exactly these four points are built into the profile check, TCO calculator and route planner.