Behind the scenes at IVECO

Behind every IVECO S-Way delivered across Europe lies a factory capable of producing near tailor-made trucks on an industrial scale. Located in Madrid, the Spanish plant is currently the only IVECO production site in Spain dedicated to heavy-duty industrial trucks. It is here that all of the brand’s heavy truck models are assembled for key markets including Italy, Germany, Spain, and Turkey.

The Madrid site first impresses with its scale. The factory covers nearly 374,000 square meters and relies on a main assembly line stretching roughly one kilometer. But the most remarkable aspect remains the level of customization offered by the manufacturer.

IVECO claims nearly 40,000 possible configurations for its heavy-duty trucks. Between 267 base models and more than 2,800 available options, each truck is almost produced as a one-off vehicle. According to IVECO, the same configuration is manufactured on average only three times per year.

José Manuel Jaquotot perfectly summarizes this philosophy: “Every truck we build is practically a unique model, designed to meet specific customer needs.”

To manage such a high level of customization, the plant relies on an extremely flexible organization. The site notably uses AGVs autonomous guided vehicles that move trucks throughout the production line.

The advantage of this system is that it allows dynamic adjustment of production pace depending on the complexity of each vehicle without disrupting the entire assembly line. Some trucks require more operations, others fewer. The factory therefore automatically adjusts assembly times accordingly.

The cabs arrive already welded and painted from IVECO’s Valladolid facility before being fully equipped in Madrid with dashboards, seats, sleeper berths, and airbags. The dashboard alone undergoes more than 100 electrical tests before validation.

As in many modern heavy truck factories, one of the symbolic production stages remains the famous “marriage” between the chassis and the cab.

From that point onward, the truck truly takes shape with the installation of exterior components, wheels, and all final quality controls. IVECO specifically mentions watertightness checks, wheel alignment calibrations, and full functional inspections before the vehicle leaves the factory.

Beyond technology, IVECO also highlights the human expertise behind the site. The Madrid factory employs more than 2,700 people capable of managing constant product updates and continuous model evolution.

The manufacturer states that in 2025 alone, the site handled no fewer than ten new product launches. A pace that clearly illustrates the current transformation of the heavy-duty market, driven by rapid developments in powertrains, electronic systems, and connected technologies.

IVECO also strongly emphasizes the environmental aspect of its Spanish facility. The plant now operates using 100% renewable electricity, and nearly 90% of the water used during production was recycled in 2025.

The manufacturer is also participating, alongside Edison Next Spain, in a solar self-consumption project designed to further reduce the site’s carbon footprint. According to IVECO, this initiative could avoid approximately 500 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.

Through its Madrid facility, IVECO mainly demonstrates the current evolution of the heavy-duty truck world: greater customization, greater automation, but also increasing pressure regarding the environmental performance of industrial sites themselves.

The manufacturer also reminds that its decarbonization strategy is not based solely on electric or hydrogen vehicles, but on a multi-energy approach including next-generation diesel, HVO, natural gas, and biomethane.

And considering the level of flexibility demonstrated by the Madrid site, the Spanish factory clearly appears to be one of IVECO’s key industrial pillars supporting this transition.

Text: Fabien Calvet Photos: IVECO