IAA 2026
One hundred and thirty years after Gottlieb Daimler invented the first truck, the group is returning to Hanover with an especially busy line-up. Electric, hydrogen, next-generation diesel, safety, digital services and autonomous driving: Daimler Truck wants to demonstrate at IAA Transportation 2026 that its history does not prevent it from looking towards the future.
In 1896, Gottlieb Daimler invented the first motorised truck. One hundred and thirty years later, Daimler Truck is taking advantage of IAA Transportation to celebrate this anniversary, but above all to present the technologies with which the group intends to support the transformation of road transport.
Starting tomorrow, the manufacturer will be exhibiting several new products, including the electric eActros Lowliner, the NextGenH2 Truck hydrogen-powered truck and the new Powerliner diesel powertrain. The Actros L and eActros 600 will also be offered in a special series celebrating 130 years of the truck.
The eActros 600 exceeds 160 million kilometres
Electric power will naturally occupy a central place on the Mercedes-Benz Trucks stand. Daimler Truck claims a leading position in the European market for trucks with no CO₂ emissions during use and announces that the eActros 600 vehicles operated by its customers have already covered more than 160 million kilometres in electric mode. For the first time, the manufacturer will present the eActros Lowliner to the public, a version developed for high-volume transport. Its low coupling height should enable it to tow semi-trailers with maximum interior capacity, particularly in automotive and industrial activities.
The NextGenH2 Truck makes its debut
Daimler Truck is also continuing its work on hydrogen. The first fuel-cell trucks entrusted to customers have already covered nearly 600,000 kilometres. In Hanover, the manufacturer will unveil to the public the NextGenH2 Truck, which we had the privilege of testing exclusively at TruckStop. Nearly 50 vehicles intended for customer trials are said to have already found buyers. Daimler Truck ultimately plans a small series of 100 units. With this new truck, the group is thus confirming its desire to develop battery-electric and hydrogen technologies in parallel. Batteries are favoured for activities compatible with planned charging, while hydrogen could meet the needs of intensive and long-distance transport.
By the end of the decade, Daimler Truck plans to invest several hundred million euros in its hydrogen trucks. Their commercial future will nevertheless depend on the development of stations and the availability of decarbonised hydrogen at an acceptable price.
A warning about European targets
Daimler Truck will also use IAA to challenge European political decision-makers. The group believes that the CO₂ reduction targets imposed on manufacturers for 2030 cannot be achieved without a much faster deployment of charging and refuelling infrastructure.
The manufacturer is also calling for economic conditions that would allow electric and hydrogen trucks to compete with their diesel equivalents. In the absence of genuine cost parity for transport operators, demand may not progress quickly enough. Daimler Truck, like all other manufacturers, is therefore warning of the risk of a contradiction between the regulatory obligations imposed on industry and the reality of the market. The group even refers to financial penalties that could threaten the existence of certain manufacturers if the necessary ecosystem is not put in place in time.
Powerliner: diesel has not said its last word
The energy transition does not, however, mean the immediate disappearance of the internal combustion engine. In Hanover, Daimler Truck will present Powerliner, a new generation of diesel powertrain. The manufacturer announces an improvement in energy efficiency and performance, without yet detailing all the technical characteristics here. This new engine is intended to meet the needs of transport operators who cannot yet switch to electric power, due to a lack of infrastructure or because of their operational constraints.
The simultaneous presence of Powerliner, the eActros 600 and the NextGenH2 Truck illustrates the group’s multi-energy strategy: further improving diesel while preparing its successor.
New driver assistance systems
Mercedes-Benz Trucks will also unveil several systems designed to strengthen safety in daily operations.
Active Cross Traffic Assist is intended to help the driver detect and anticipate dangers when crossing an intersection. Active Side Guard Assist 3, for its part, complements the truck’s lateral monitoring, particularly during changes of direction or manoeuvres presenting a risk to cyclists and pedestrians.
For Achim Puchert, head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, the value of an innovation is measured not only by its novelty, but by its ability to concretely improve customers’ profitability, safety and operating conditions.
Join us tomorrow on TruckStop for all the latest news from IAA 2026
