The Commercial Vehicle Show 2026 drew 14,991 visitors to the NEC in Birmingham last week, a 15% increase year-on-year.
More than 320 exhibitors took part, up 30% on 2025, with the show co-located alongside the Bus & Coach Expo to broaden the focus across the wider transport sector.
New launches from Ford, Farizon, Foton and Chery took centre stage, all of which debuted new Chinese made electric vans.
Ford drew attention with the public debut of the Transit City, while Farizon launched the V7E, Foton showed its upcoming range of electric vans and Chery Commercial Vehicle announced its arrival to the UK with the DELIVAN brand.
Read Chery reveals new DELIVAN concept ahead of UK launch in 2027
Read Isuzu D-Max EV arrives with 1-tonne payload and 3.5-tonne towing
Read Farizon reveals smaller new V7E with matching load capacity
Read Try before you buy, as Kia PV5 now available to rent
Elsewhere, launches including Iveco’s eJolly and eSuperJolly, BYD’s Dolphin Cargo and the latest Isuzu UK D-Max updates with a 2.2-litre engine and the new battery electric pick-up. The variety in launches reinforced how the mix of electric and conventional powertrains are still defining the sector.
Kia UK also used the show to expand its PV5 line-up, while Renault had a production version of its Renault Trafic E-Tech on display.
Across the seminar programme, the message was on electrification.
Zero-emission adoption has reached around 22% in the passenger car market, compared with roughly 10% for vans and just 1% for HGVs.
There was also a clear push for a multi-pathway approach. Alongside electrification, alternative fuels such as hydrogen and biomethane were widely discussed as short-term solutions to reduce emissions where battery-electric technology is not yet viable.
Nick Davison, event director of the Commercial Vehicle Show, said the tone of the event marked a shift.
“There was a renewed sense of momentum and optimism that we haven’t seen in quite some time. The quality of engagement has been exceptional, and it’s been particularly encouraging to see such high levels of interest from exhibitors already looking to rebook for 2027,” Davison said.
