IAA Transportation Show 2026 | Launches, reveals and 'uptime' musical numbers

The global commercial vehicle show is back in town, the IAA Transportation Show in Hanover (to be precise), with a host of launches and new products spread across a huge number of enormous exhibition halls and outdoor spots.

From light commercial vehicles to heavy goods vehicles, accessories, engines, parts, and more, there’s so much to see that the show HAS to run for at least a week. But on the Autotrader vans content channel, we’re most interested in what the van manufacturers had to show us… and there was quite a bit to see!

We’ve kicked off this article with some of the key highlights of the show, and will add further updates as the week-long show progresses.

Click the links below to skip to a section:

​Renault Trafic E-Tech global launch and International Van of the Year win​

​Kia launches PV7 medium-sized electric van

​Stellantis Pro One reveals Box-on-wheels concept, TRIS and new compact van trims

​Ford Pro reveals Transit City chassis-cab conversions

Chery unveils European versions of DELIVAN​

​Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launches Connect Pro and entertains with ‘uptime’ musical number

​Mercedes-Benz shows off more of the new Sprinter (in boulder form), the new VLE, and talks about uptime​

Renault Trafic E-Tech global launch and International Van of the Year win

The production model (or as close to) of the new Renault Trafic E-Tech electric van was revealed… and although most of the key stats we already know, pricing is still to be confirmed.

It will offer a range of up to 290 miles from its 81 kWh battery (not yet official), can be rapid charged from 10 to 80 per cent in around 20 minutes, has vehicle-to-load functionality (V2L) so you can use the van as a mobile power source, and features a car-like turning circle of 10.3 metres (nearly the same as a Renault Clio).

Practicality is also strong with its being just under 1.9 metres tall and therefore able to enter height-restricted car parks, it can carry loads volumes of up to 5.8 cubic metres, carry payloads of up to 1,300 kg, and tow up to 2,000 kg.

What we didn’t know for sure, but did have confirmed, was that the panel van will be available before the end of 2026, with chassis-cab and crew cab versions added to the range in early 2027.

And to cap all of this off, the new Trafic E-Tech was named International Van of the Year (IVOTY) 2027. Jarlath Sweeney, IVOTY chairman, said: “It’s the sixth such title for Renault, and exactly twenty-five years since the Trafic was last victorious in 2002. The main criterion for the nomination and the election of any van as International Van of the Year is its contribution to high standards of efficiency, safety, with respect to environment and the sustainability of the transport of light goods by road and the new Trafic E-Tech electric meets these requirements with aplomb.”

Well done to Renault… and let us know when the van hits your press fleet, eh?

Kia launches PV7 medium-sized electric van

We recently reported on teaser images of Kia’s new PV7 electric van… and now we’ve seen it in the flesh as the van was officially launched at the show in Cargo and Passenger formats. Both versions are currently planned to launch in Europe in the second half of 2027. Although pricing has not been confirmed, if it’s anything like as good as the PV5’s pricing Kia could be onto another winner.

The Kia PV7 Cargo will be available in two-seat and three-seat layouts with a maximum payload carrying ability between 1,165 kg (on the Long variant) and 1,200 kg ( on the Compact variant). Load volume is up to 6.1 cubic metres on the Cargo Long and stretches up to 8.0 cubic metres in the Cargo High Roof. The Long model features a low 550 mm loading height capable of fitting up to three Euro pallets. Bet there’s a few medium vans already in-market looking over their shoulders nervously.

Meanwhile, the Kia PV7 Passenger will be capable of carrying up to nine passengers in global models and up to 11 in the Korean variants. It packs some nice touches like Long-Rail Easy Remove Seats on the seven-seat models, customisable multi-row seating on the nine-seat models, and passenger-focused features such as USB-C charging ports and rear climate control.

Both Cargo and Passenger models will share the same battery packs (71.5 kWh or 96.2 kWh), providing over 285 miles of WLTP range (on the Long Range Cargo model). Fast charging will fill up the ‘tank’ from 10 to 80 per cent in around 20-30 minutes, the vans will all feature V2L capability for powering external devices, and dual 12.9-inch and 14.6-inch displays.

Another set of vans we can’t wait to get behind the wheel of ASAP.

Stellantis Pro One reveals Box-on-wheels concept, TRIS and new compact van trims

There were several interesting announcements from Stellantis and a VERY surprising box on wheels… you read that right. Let’s start with the reveal of a new TRIS with doors (not like the doorless version we saw at the 2026 Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham.

If you haven’t seen it, the TRIS is Fiat’s fully electric three-wheeler designed to handle last-mile deliveries. Packing a 6.9 kWh battery, the TRIS can go for 55 miles before plugging it into any standard wall socket for a recharge. Don't let its size fool you, though, it can carry up to 500 kg of cargo and fit two Euro pallets in its cargo space.

The new ‘Box on wheels’ (BOW) concept was also on display… and it’s exactly as it sounds. Stellantis has teamed up with UQI Robotics to create BOW, an autonomous and fully electric logistics vehicle built to slice through city congestion, dodge low-emission zone fines, and handle controlled environments like factories, hospitals, and airports. We also got to see it in action through live demonstrations at the show. Clever stuff!

We also got a look at the company’s plan for a new series of trim levels across its compact van lineup. When it comes into effect, ‘Smart’ will be the new fully-equipped standard vans, ‘Mid-Level’ the middle level with more features, ‘High-Level’ for those drivers who demand a few extra creature comforts, and ‘Special Series’ which will be the super-spec vehicles packed with everything a driver could possibly want!

Interesting stuff all round, particularly TRIS and BOW… although we’re not sure how we’d review a BOW.

Ford Pro reveals Transit City chassis-cab conversions

Alongside several other new vehicles, including the Ranger Super Duty pick-up truck, the one that really caught our attention were the new Transit City conversions built on the van’s chassis-cab. At the show, we saw Box Van, Dropside and Refrigerated Box Van concepts. Here are all the details.

The Box Van conversion offers up a massive cargo volume with a low floor removing the need for a tail lift. The box is built from insulated glass-reinforced plastic panels over a lightweight aluminium subframe with an anti-slip plywood floor and optional load rails. Load volume is 10.4 cubic metres and it can carry up to 1,120 kg. Access to the load space is through two 270-degree rear doors or a kerbside door.

Next up, the Transit City Dropside features 400 mm foldable aluminium side and tailboards, a steel cab protector with lashing points, and a 15 mm ply load bed coated in scratch-resistant, anti-slip resin. This van offers the highest payload in the Transit City lineup at a maximum 1,300 kg.

Finally, the Transit City Refrigerated Box has been developed with the experts at Lecapitaine for use in last-mile refrigerated business to support anything from supermarket home deliveries to pharmaceutical transport. The integrated Electric Power Take-Off (ePTO) system is scheduled to hit Transit City Chassis Cab models in 2027. Best of all, instead of having to carry an extra auxiliary generator, the fridge unit draws up to 3 kW of DC power directly from the vehicle’s main 56 kWh battery.

What’s most interesting, however, is the ePTO tech blows the path open for other Transit City conversions like powered tippers, tail lifts, and high-pressure drainage pumps.

We will watch with great interest.

Chery reveals European versions of DELIVAN

Oh yes, the DELIVAN L1H1 and L2H3 models were on display at Chery’s stand, and we were told that these two models will be the key models in the company’s European van range. The vans have been developed with input from partners across the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain, so we were told to rest assured that they take European business requirements into account.

You’ll get to choose your van’s battery size starting from a modest 50.4 kWh right up to 97.4 kWh outputting a max range of over 260 miles. A 15 to 80 per cent fast charge will take just 22 minutes. The bigger L2H3 model gives you 11.6 cubic metres of cargo space while the smaller L1H1 handles up to a 1,400 kg payload. Both are capable of towing a 2,500 kg trailer behind them.

We were also told that chassis-cab versions will be able to carry 2,120 kg of weight on their back, with a tipper version showing powered conversions are also coming to market.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launches Connect Pro with ‘Uptime’ musical number

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles used IAA Transportation 2026 to remind everyone that they are a committed B2B brand. CEO Stefan Mecha took the stage with bombastic light shows and musical interludes to declare that "trust is the ultimate currency".

Instead of JUST showing off the metal – although the stand and show was filled with Volkswagen vehicles of all shapes and sizes, including the ID.Buzz Cargo LWB we recently covered – Volkswagen spent time looking at ‘Connect Pro’, the company’s all-in-one digital ecosystem designed to keep fleets of its vehicles running. Mecha compared managing a fleet to the work of a high-stakes Formula 1 pit crew, with the Connect Pro predictive maintenance tech acting like a crack team monitoring every second to dodge unplanned downtime.

Ultimately, Volkswagen wants you to know that ‘uptime’ isn't just a feature anymore, it’s a business necessity they provide a solution for... and a wicked musical number!

Mercedes-Benz shows off more of the new Sprinter (in boulder form), the new VLE, and talks about uptime

Mercedes-Benz gave us another sneak preview of the look of the next generation Sprinter using the boulder sculpture... giving us a better look at the truck-like front end and rear doors. It's not much, but we'll take it. It looks like the front end takes some inspiration from the classic Mercedes-Benz vans from yesteryear, and the rear doors look to be far higher and wider than the current generation of Sprinters.

We also saw the VLE Passenger Van built on the company's new electric van platform built with 800-volt technology, huge potential electric ranges of up to 435 miles, and seats for up to eight people inside. We saw this in the flesh at the same time we reviewed the Vito Sport-X, and we can't wait to have one in for review... stay tuned on that front! 

Mercedes-Benz PRO, the company's fleet and business vehicle digital ecosystem, was also given airtime emphasising its ability to fleets on the road through managing multiple vehicles of multiple configurations, helping people establish charging infrastructure, use the correct financial services, and more. 

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