IAA Commercial Vehicles 2020 cancelled due to Covid19. Next edition 2022

IAA Commercial Vehicles 2020 cancelled. It was in the air, now (as of 6 May) it’s official. The pandemic of Covid19 takes away the IAA Hanover. The exhibition scheduled at the Hannover Fair from 24 to 30 September has been cancelled and re-scheduled, confirming the biennial frequency, to 2022.

IAA 2020 cancelled due to Covid19

At the basis of the decision, the difficulty and in some cases the absolute impossibility of guaranteeing safety conditions at the most important commercial vehicles exhibition in the world (over 2,000 exhibitors and 250,000 visitors at the IAA 2018).

For truck (mainly) and bus and commercial vehicles industry this is another sad news in a dramatic year, which will have heavy repercussions on all sectors of road transport.

IAA 2018, many news on alternative drive buses

At IAA 2018 the main topic has been electromobility, even with the main protagonists of the European electric bus market dramatically absent: Solaris and VDL opted for the Innotrans in Berlin while Irizar stayed at home (however, the Basque manufacturer never showed up in Hanover). Daimler unveiled the Mercedes eCitaro to the public, MAN showed the concept of Lion’s City E. Iveco Bus realized an entire diesel free stand: gas, electric (Heuliez) and trolleybuses were the main guests. BYD showed some novelties. Scania presented its LNG coach.

IAA 2020 cancelled, VDA’s statement

Following, the statement released by VDA with regards to the cancellation of IAA Commercial Vehicles 2020: «The IAA Commercial Vehicles is the world’s leading platform for transport, logistics and mobility. As a global meeting place for experts and decision-makers from the entire transport and logistics sector, its strength is its international range of both exhibitors and visitors. Direct personal contacts are at the heart of the show.

The health risks of the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures taken to contain it have fundamentally changed the backdrop for the IAA Commercial Vehicles. The Covid-19 pandemic has indeed shown the general public very clearly just how essential commercial vehicles are for maintaining public food supplies, but it is having an unprecedented impact on business in the sector and also the IAA.

Many countries have travel restrictions that will remain in force for several months to come. Large events have been prohibited over the coming months in nearly all European countries. Given the situation with the corona pandemic, face-to-face meetings can no longer be held at a trade fair and particularly at the IAA.

Against this background, the VDA has decided to cancel the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2020 that was to be held in Hannover from September 24 to 30. It was a difficult decision to make. Yet in view of the overall situation in Europe and around the world, we do not see any possibility of holding the IAA this year in its familiar form as a platform for exhibitors and visitors.

The VDA has already informed the many exhibitors who had registered for the IAA 2020 of the decision, along with all the service providers, Deutsche Messe AG, and all political and business partners. The exhibitors and service providers have been informed of the cancellation at this early stage in order to keep the economic consequences for the companies to a minimum. The next IAA Commercial Vehicles will take place in September 2022».