Ford Trucks, Hankook, MEILLER, DAF, Einride, SuperPanther

At IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hanover, Ford Trucks is presenting its current heavy-duty commercial vehicle portfolio. Under the banner "One Vision for Every Journey," Ford Otosan's commercial vehicle brand is displaying models including the F-MAX, the F-LINE Construction, and the all-electric F-LINE E. Select models are also available for test drives.

While the F-MAX is tailored for long-haul transport, the F-LINE Construction targets demanding construction and job-site applications. With the F-LINE E, Ford Trucks is simultaneously introducing its battery-electric solution for the heavy-duty commercial sector. 

The brand's trade show presence is rounded out by the digital platform ConnecTruck, which consolidates vehicle and fleet data to streamline operations. Tire manufacturer Prometeon is also represented with its own dedicated area at the booth, presenting commercial transport solutions. 

Hankook is presenting new commercial vehicle tire solutions at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hanover. The highlight is on new product additions for trailers and winter operations, as well as the existing portfolio for trucks and buses. This includes the Smart Line series for long-haul routes, Smart Flex for regional transport, and e-Smart City for electric city buses. 

The lineup is supplemented by trailer tires from the Laufenn brand and the Hankook Alphatread retreading program. With Hankook Smart Fleet, the manufacturer is also showing digital tire management solutions designed to help fleets lower their total cost of ownership. In addition, two concept pieces from the "Design Innovation Project" offer a glimpse into future technologies. 

At the same time, Hankook is expanding its European production. A new production line for truck and bus tires is being built at its Hungarian plant, with a planned capacity of up to 800,000 tires per year. Intended for the European market, the production aims to shorten transport routes and strengthen the regional supply chain. 

MEILLER is presenting its current lineup for the construction, transport, and waste management industries at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hanover. Across a 715-square-meter exhibit space and an adjacent outdoor area, the company is displaying various superstructures from its TRIGENIUS, TECTRUM, MAXTREME, and GRANDLOAD product lines.

The showcased solutions cover a wide range of transport jobs, from lighter applications to demanding construction and waste management operations. Additional products are also on display at partner stands across the grounds. The primary focus is on operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness in daily use. 

As a highlight, MEILLER has announced a new product for construction and waste logistics. The new superstructure is set to expand the existing portfolio with another solution for high-demanding applications. The company plans to reveal technical details at a later date. 

DAF Trucks and Einride plan to jointly advance the development of autonomous SAE Level 4 electric trucks. To achieve this, the Einride Driver autonomous driving system will be integrated into DAF’s electric truck platform. The project is supported by the Dutch research institute TNO.

In the initial phase, the partners are evaluating the necessary interfaces between the vehicle and the autonomous driving system. Initial testing and validation are scheduled to take place before the end of 2026. Integration and commissioning of the Einride software in a DAF truck are planned for 2027. In parallel, the companies are collaborating with vehicle approval authorities to eventually enable autonomous operations on public roads. 

Einride is pursuing a vehicle-agnostic approach designed to make its autonomous technology transferable across different truck platforms. DAF is combining this collaboration with its growing electric truck portfolio to lay the groundwork for scalable commercial deployment of autonomous freight transport. A market launch date for a standard-production Level 4 truck has not yet been announced. 

SuperPanther has launched series production of the eTopas 600 electric truck at Steyr Automotive in Austria. In late July, the first 4×2 tractor unit rolled off the assembly line, while the first vehicles were delivered to customers including DHL, Gress, Temmel, and Lontex. Commercial deployment is thus getting underway across several European markets.

Engineered for a gross combination weight of 42 metric tons, the eTopas 600 features a dual-motor electric axle delivering 394 kW of continuous output and 692 kW of peak power. A 621 kWh LFP battery from CATL is designed to provide a range of roughly 600 kilometers under real-world European operating conditions. In customer fleet tests covering over 70,000 kilometers, average energy consumption was 0.94 kWh per kilometer, according to the manufacturer.

A standout feature is dual-charging via two CCS2 ports. In tests, the system achieved up to 646.7 kW of charging power. This allows the battery to charge from 20 to 80 percent in under 38 minutes at two suitable charging points. For maintenance and repairs in Europe, SuperPanther relies on the Alltrucks service network.