Cologne event to spotlight technologies reshaping industrial mobility

iVT Expo Europe returns to Cologne, Germany on 10–11 June 2026, bringing together more than 2,000 professionals from across the off-highway and industrial vehicle sectors for two days of technology showcases, expert discussions and industry networking.

A central feature of this year’s event will be the Off-Highway Evolution Conference, a two-day programme exploring the technologies reshaping industrial mobility, including electrification, autonomous systems, digitalisation, connectivity, energy management and intelligent vehicle integration.

“iVT Expo Europe continues to evolve alongside the industries it serves. The 2026 event will bring together a diverse range of technologies and expertise, from established systems through to emerging innovations. With the return of the iVT Live Zone and a strong line-up of exhibitors and speakers, it remains a key meeting point for the industrial vehicle community,” said Ram Seria, Event Director for iVT Expo Europe.

Held at Koelnmesse in Cologne, the event is designed for professionals working across construction, mining, agriculture, material handling and forestry to discover the latest components, systems and solutions driving next-generation vehicle development. Visitors will be able to explore advances in electrification, powertrain technologies, autonomy, controls, hydraulics, connectivity and advanced materials.

Following its successful debut, the iVT Live Zone will return in 2026, offering an interactive space on the exhibition floor for live discussions, panel sessions and expert-led conversations. The feature is designed to give attendees direct access to industry insight and emerging trends shaping the future of off-highway vehicles.

Speakers and industry experts from companies including Bosch Rexroth, Danfoss Power Solutions, Doosan Bobcat, CNH Industrial and dSPACE will share practical perspectives on the deployment of electrification, autonomy, connectivity and intelligent vehicle technologies.

Registration for iVT Expo Europe 2026 is open.
Register using code EV10 to receive an exclusive discount
iVT Expo Europe – More Information & Registration

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Posifa’s new battery thermal event sensors offer 100 ms response and 15-year service life for EVs

Posifa Technologies has introduced the PGS5100 Series, MEMS-based thermal conductivity hydrogen sensors designed for early-warning detection inside EV battery packs and fuel cell systems. The sensors are 10x faster than the previous PGS4100 series, cover a 0–25% hydrogen concentration range and are rated for more than 15 years of service life.

Hydrogen appears during the initial off-gas stage of a thermal event—before heat escalation and ignition—giving control systems time to trigger mitigation and occupants time to react. The PGS5100 measures hydrogen concentration by detecting changes in the thermal conductivity of the gas mixture. Integrated humidity and barometric pressure sensors compensate for environmental variation across temperature, altitude and humidity ranges. The sensors are condensation-resistant and non-reactive to contaminants—two common failure modes for catalytic hydrogen sensors in enclosed battery pack environments.

Specifications: 100 ms response time, 200 ms warm-up, 5 V supply, 50 mW typical average power. Communication is via MODBUS-RTU/RS-485, with CAN support planned. The IP6K9-rated housing uses an automotive-grade connector.

“Thermal runaway isn’t always instantaneous. In many EV battery events, hydrogen appears during the early venting phase—minutes before ignition,” said Peng Tu, President and CEO of Posifa. “The PGS5100 is built to detect that hydrogen signal reliably inside the pack, helping OEMs trigger mitigation and give occupants more time to react, without the lifetime limitations of catalytic sensors.”

Samples and production quantities are available now.

Source: Posifa Technologies

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Just over the border in Mexico, Chinese cars sit waiting for the day they can find homes in the US

Like a pack of wolves patiently waiting outside the kitchen door, lots full of Chinese-made cars sit in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, just across the US border. Chinese cars, which sport sticker prices far lower than anything you’ll find on a US car lot, aren’t allowed to be sold in the US at the moment, and lawmakers from both parties are taking hurried (not to say “panicky”) measures to make sure they remain so.

“If [these cars] were allowed to be sold in the United States, they would destroy the American car market,” Luis Hernandez, a Geely salesman in Ciudad Juárez, told the Wall Street Journal.

At Hernandez’s dealership, a Geely EX2, a compact BEV, starts at around $20,000, cheaper than any new car sold in the US, and less than half the average automobile price. Mexican buyers are deserting Ford and Chevrolet for Chinese brands, Hernandez says.

We read a lot about Chinese EVs these days, but one point that many, at least in the EV media, fail to mention is that China is exporting lots of fossil-burners too. In Ciudad Juárez, the WSJ saw beefy BYD pickup trucks and gas-guzzling Great Wall SUVs for sale alongside hybrids and EVs. The top seller at Geely’s dealership is the gas-powered Emgrand, comparable to entry-level compacts like the Nissan Sentra or Hyundai Elantra.

Auto execs in the US (and Europe, Japan and Korea) are well aware of the existential threat that the Dragon represents. “It is very difficult—not to say impossible—to compete,” Hyundai Motor Chief Executive José Muñoz told the WSJ. “We cannot compete at the same price as the Chinese in the markets where we operate.”

Europe and Canada appear to be moving towards a pragmatic strategy, enticing Chinese automakers to establish factories in their countries. The US is pursuing a “lock ‘em out” approach. Chinese automakers are mostly excluded from the US, thanks to a combination of high tariffs and bans on certain foreign-made technologies. (Chinese commercial EVs are already here—BYD builds electric buses in California, and Windrose just started selling its electric trucks in the US.)

US consumers are curious. Bloomberg reports that a recent survey found that a third of US new-vehicle buyers said they’d consider buying a vehicle built in China. EV journalists and car guy influencers are test-driving the cars and singing their praises to their readers.

In January, our current president told a group of business leaders in Detroit that he would be open to allowing Chinese automakers to produce vehicles here in the US (as they’re already doing in Mexico, and may soon do in Canada). Lawmakers from both parties, and US auto industry groups, have strongly urged him to abandon this idea.

Some US lawmakers want to go even further. Senators Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan) have introduced a bill that would “hermetically seal” the country, making it illegal even to drive Chinese cars from Canada or Mexico into the US. Joint ventures with Chinese automakers would be forbidden, and Chinese companies would have to divest US brands that they own, such as Volvo and Polestar.

However, the history of government prohibition of things consumers want to buy (see alcohol, drugs, immigration, software, etc, etc, etc) isn’t encouraging to the protectionists.

The WSJ also spoke to salespeople at an El Paso car dealer network, and learned that customers are asking why US car dealers can’t offer inexpensive cars like the ones being sold a few miles away in Mexico. “When manufacturers don’t have an interest in affordability, and they do have a financial interest—I will say, short-term financial interest—in producing higher-dollar vehicles, I think it’s a slow death,” said Ronnie Lowenfield, Chief Executive of Casa Auto Group.

Apologists for the “Western” auto industry say that China has unfairly subsidized its automakers. Sure they have, but they’re not likely to stop doing so, nor are the Chinese automakers simply going to forget about the world’s third-largest auto market.

“Whenever there are market challenges, reality is, we’ll need to find a way to adapt to it,” Brian Gu, Vice Chairman of Xpeng, told the WSJ. “Our long-term goal is to make our products available to as many customers as possible, including the US customers.”

Source: Wall Street Journal

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WattEV orders 370 Tesla Semis for deployment in California

It’s been a long wait, but it appears that Tesla Semis will soon be hitting the highways in substantial numbers. The largest order to date comes from WattEV, a California-based Trucking-as-a-Service (TaaS) company, which is buying 370 units. The company expects the first 50 trucks to enter service in 2026, and the full fleet to be in operation by the end of 2027.

WattEV says its vertically integrated model, which includes trucks, megawatt-scale charging and leasing, lowers EV adoption barriers for carriers by reducing upfront capital costs.

Some 300 of the Tesla Semis will be deployed at the Port of Oakland, where WattEV is planning to launch new MCS-capable charging sites. Early deployments will also take place at the Port of Oakland and in Fresno. Additional depots at Stockton and Sacramento are in the planning stages.

WattEV currently operates 75 trucks across Southern California, on drayage and middle-mile routes, and six depots, at the Port of Long Beach, San Bernardino, Gardena, Bakersfield, Vernon and Oxnard. The company says 15 more locations are currently under development.

WattEV CEO Salim Youssefzadeh said his company selected the Tesla Semi following a competitive RFP process. Cost, performance and availability were the factors that helped Tesla to beat out its legacy OEM rivals.

“We expect diesel fuel costs will continue to be a decisive factor in fleet procurement decisions,” Youssefzadeh said. “Our electrified freight solutions allow us to deliver goods at better economics compared to diesel today, and as energy costs diverge further, the economic case only strengthens.”

Source: Clean Trucking

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EV battery electrical insulation design guide

Sponsored by Avery Dennison Performance Tapes.

Intended for engineers and decision-makers in the EV battery design, manufacturing and implementation, the new “EV battery electrical insulation design guide” from Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, helps readers understand and make informed choices about using dielectric tapes as an electrical insulation solution.

Featuring the Volt Tough portfolio of electrically insulative, single-sided filmic pressure-Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) tapes, this design guide demonstrates how a combination of dielectric films with high-performance adhesives can meet the specifications for modern battery pack needs. These tapes offer numerous advantages over traditional coatings, including high dielectric strength within thin profiles (leading to higher pack energy density), instant bonding for faster production times, and durable, conformable, and tear-resistant options for complex geometries and sharp corners. The technology described in this paper also focuses on flame-retardant versions capable of maintaining UL^® 94V-0 requirements within the battery pack.

The objectives of this design guide are:

1. Introduce and help you better understand the properties, features, benefits and uses of Avery Dennison Volt Tough dielectric tapes.
2. Help you make more informed choices when considering Volt Tough dielectric tapes as an electrical insulation solution in your EV battery pack designs.
3. Demonstrate ways to properly integrate Volt Tough solutions within the pack using automation and other methods.
4. Illustrate ways your organization can work with Avery Dennison Performance Tapes to develop Volt Tough solutions customized for your needs

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Enevate’s silicon-dominant battery R&D and manufacturing equipment goes to auction May 21

The manufacturing and R&D equipment from Enevate’s silicon-dominant lithium-ion battery operation in Irvine, California will be sold at live webcast auction on May 21 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The sale is conducted by CA Global Partners in conjunction with Onyx Asset Advisors.

Enevate was developing high energy-density, silicon-dominant Li-ion battery technology for EV applications. The auction covers the full contents of its Irvine operation across several categories.

Pouch cell manufacturing equipment includes tooling for mixing, coating, calendering, slitting, drying, stacking, welding, filling, sealing, degassing, formation and pressing. Battery test and cycling systems include equipment from Arbin, Bluekey, Bio-Logic and EL-Cell. Analytical laboratory instruments include DSC/TGA systems, FTIR analyzers, particle sizing instruments, gas chromatographs, viscometers and conductivity tools. Metrology assets include Keyence digital microscopy, thin-film measurement and precision measurement equipment. Facility support items round out the catalog.

Inspection is by appointment at 101 Theory, Suite 200, Irvine.

Source: CA Global Partners

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Automotive connectivity and efficiency: seizing the Wi-Fi 7 opportunity—download the guide

Sponsored by TTI and Murata.

Wi-Fi 7 positions itself as a key technology for advanced automotive connectivity, supporting up to 16 spatial streams and a 320MHz channel width. Its high bandwidth capacity addresses the data transmission requirements of ADAS and autonomous driving applications.

This paper, titled “Murata Wi-Fi 7 Automotive Connectivity and Efficiency White,” outlines Wi-Fi 7’s capabilities and its relevance to the automotive industry.

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