IAA Show swept by storm from the East

Trucks from China and South Korea stole the show at the IAA in Hanover last month, where the biggest crowds were attracted by heavy vehicles from debutants Dongfeng, Camc and Hyundai, rather than the established manufacturers’ now familiar Euro 6 offerings.

While still distinctly different from their Western European counterparts, the trucks from the People’s Republic no longer look like warmed-over relics from a Stalinist past, and close examination reveals innovations and technology that is in some cases up there with the best.

But, none of the three Oriental manufacturers showing at IAA was actually planning to take on the European makers on their home ground…yet.  Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co president Huang (Gary) Gang seemed to speak for them all when he let it be known that his motive for attending IAA was “not to receive orders, but to have the audience get to know us.”

Likely targets for the vehicles are markets in locations such as the east of Europe (beyond the EU) and Africa, both of which are currently significant destinations for used trucks exported from the UK.

Beyond the entry of the debutants, the main themes of the IAA Show were of reducing CO2 emissions per tonne/km by increasing vehicle capacity and reducing fuel consumption, and interconnectivity leading eventually to vehicles that would, to a certain extent, be self-driving.