China truck solutions offered at Hannover

More than 300 Chinese companies exhibited at the 2026 IAA Transportation fair in Hannover, Germany, which concluded on Sunday, showcasing not only their latest new energy commercial vehicles but also intelligent driving technologies, charging solutions and an industrial ecosystem at the global bellwether event.

From 70 Chinese exhibitors in 2022, many confined to peripheral booths, to over 300 this year occupying core space, Chinese manufacturers are now competing head-to-head with global leaders such as Daimler Truck, MAN and Volvo Trucks.

The growing presence at the event reflects a broader surge in exports. China's commercial vehicle exports reached 1.06 million units in 2025, topping 1 million for the first time. Exports of new energy commercial vehicles jumped 86.8 percent to 83,000 units. That momentum has continued into 2026: in the first eight months, commercial vehicle exports totaled 905,000 units, up 38.1 percent year-on-year.

Sinotruk, China's top heavy-duty truck exporter for 21 consecutive years, unveiled its new Sitrak battery electric tractor, targeting zero-carbon long-haul logistics. The vehicle features a 600-kilowatt-hour battery, a range of more than 500 kilometers, and megawatt-level charging that goes from 20 percent to 80 percent in 23 minutes. It is also equipped with a Level 2 advanced driver assistance system that can cover 90 percent of highway scenarios.

The automaker's products are sold in more than 150 countries and regions through 37 knock-down assembly plants. It has more than 1,000 global service outlets, $105 million in new energy spare parts at its overseas central warehouse, more than 40 international training centers, and over 300 NEV technicians supporting overseas markets.

Global full-chain services and localized operations have built an overseas network with local presence across key markets, completing the shift from product exports to an integrated technology, service and brand strategy.

Foton displayed a range of vehicles and self-developed components, with several models making their overseas debuts at the event.

The company delivered its 13 millionth vehicle globally to the European market at the event. The vehicle, an Auman Galaxy 9, was tested in Spain and has entered Europe's high-end long-haul logistics market.

Its products now cover more than 140 countries and regions. Foton aims for overseas sales to reach 40 percent of its total sales by 2030.

In Europe, it has established sales and service networks in nearly 20 markets and plans full coverage of major European markets by 2028. It has one regional parts center in Germany and national parts warehouses in 17 countries, including the UK, France and Hungary, with more than 300 service outlets across Europe.

Foton announced at the IAA Transportation that it plans to build a European technical center and start local assembly in Europe by 2028.

Local production is becoming a consensus among leading Chinese truck makers. BYD also confirmed at the event that it will launch its first heavy truck for the European market in 2027 and later start heavy truck production in Europe.

"In the long run, all products we sell in Europe will be locally produced," BYD Executive Vice-President Stella Li said.

Diversified new energy technology pathways for commercial vehicles were also highlighted at the event. Dongfeng Motor displayed three hydrogen-powered vehicles covering long-haul heavy-load, resource-efficient transport and urban cold-chain delivery. It also held the global debut of a 400-kilowatt fuel cell.

Its T1 new energy commercial vehicle platform uses a modular architecture compatible with pure hydrogen, hydrogen-electric hybrid and pure electric routes. Dongfeng said it has more than 2,000 related patents and has commercially operated more than 10,000 hydrogen vehicles.

Meanwhile, FAW Jiefang unveiled its TL. X concept truck and exhibited five vehicles and nine core powertrains, covering fuel, natural gas, hydrogen, pure electric and hybrid routes.

Beyond vehicle manufacturers, Chinese exhibitors have expanded their offerings across charging infrastructure, energy storage and intelligent mobility solutions.

Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai unveiled a new L4 autonomous heavy truck at the show, developed jointly with GAC Group. The pure electric autonomous truck will enter mass production later this year, the company said. Pony.ai is in talks with several European governments and potential customers to conduct road tests in Europe.

Skyworth Auto made its IAA Transportation debut with five models, headlined by the world premiere of the Z9, an L4 autonomous electric heavy truck designed for ports, steel mills, rail yards and logistics corridors.

"Intelligent technology is moving from the demonstration stage to real-world application," said Liu Qian, CTO of Skyworth Auto's parent company Skywell Auto.

"For Skyworth Auto, this means we are transforming from a traditional commercial vehicle manufacturer into a technology-driven company integrating new energy, intelligent driving and customized solutions," Liu said.

Europe is not simply a market where vehicles can be sold without local support, industry observers noted. Regulations, energy adaptation, long-term reliability and after-sales networks are all critical.

The core competitiveness of China's commercial vehicle industry lies in a complete, independent and mature industry chain, they said. Chinese makers are exporting high-quality, deployable and high-return smart zero-carbon logistics solutions, accelerating their move up the global value chain.