At IAA Transportation 2024 last month, I experienced firsthand the magnetic effect of the “Tesla phenomenon”. Towards the end of a series of keynote speeches delivered by some of the industry’s most important executives, Dan Priestley, who heads the development of Tesla’s heavy electric ‘Semi’ truck, took to the stage to provide an update on the company’s plans for the commercial vehicle segment. I had a place towards the front, having sat through the preceding talks that afternoon, which were reasonably well attended; however, looking behind just before Priestley’s entry to the stage, I saw a new crowd of attendees filling out the entire space.

Part of its ‘Eckstreme’ series of twin-deckers, the new trailer sits on three axles and weighs about 450 kilograms less than previous iterations in the range.

The ‘HE 19’ is the latest model in Carrier Transicold’s ‘Vector’ series of TRUs and is claimed to be the company’s most sustainable product yet.

The NM20 is apparently still in development, with initial customer deliveries to begin towards the end of this year.

The deal would see Alltrucks serving Sany customers from its network of over 700 workshops across thirteen European countries.

In the future, the former Van Hool facility will produce stainless steel tankers, whereas GRW will produce aluminium products at its own facilities, said GRW CEO Gerhard van der Merwe.

While the spotlight was on its combustion technology at its stand at IAA Transportation 2024 – held between 17-22 September in Hanover, Germany – American powertrain manufacturer Cummins Inc also had a lot to say about its alternative offerings, now grouped under the name of ‘Accelera’. Informally, the Accelera brand covers all “the electric stuff”, while the legacy engine components, together with the non-electric axle, braking, and suspension products acquired from Meritor, retain the Cummins name. However, Cummins envisages that, eventually, the “electric stuff” will become the core of its business.

Cummins used the IAA to launch the next-generation heavy-duty on-highway diesel X10 engine.

Truck & Bus Builder learned that Sunswap’s marketing efforts are currently focused on the Benelux countries.

Thanks to its advanced panel technology, this product boasts a significant weight reduction of 700 kilograms. This lighter design improves fuel efficiency, reduces CO2 emissions, and enhances durability with increased impact resistance.

At its stand, Stellantis presented a Fiat ‘E-Ducato’ with a box body and a fuel cell electric version of Opel's ‘Movano’ large van range.

The company introduced several products aimed at advancing hydrogen-powered CV technologies. This emphasised Eaton’s commitment to supporting the hydrogen-powered CV industry.