Press releases

NUFAM 2023 ended on Sunday with the traditional horn blowing. Behind the more than 400 exhibitors from 23 nations lie four interesting, innovative and above all successful trade fair days. In its eighth edition, NUFAM has further established itself as an important platform for the commercial vehicle industry in the heart of Europe. A total of around 24,000 visitors found their way to NUFAM.

"Messe Karlsruhe, as the organiser of NUFAM, once again created the showcase for concentrated innovative power and sustainable as well as future-oriented technologies for the commercial vehicle industry. Over the past four days, NUFAM has thus underlined how valuable and indispensable it is for the transformation of the industry. It has further established itself as an investment and networking platform in the TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe." With these words, Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe, sums up the commercial vehicle trade fair in Karlsruhe.

Innovations and sustainability in focus

Never before have so many premieres been shown as at this year's NUFAM. The exhibitors deliberately chose the commercial vehicle fair as a platform for their new presentations. In particular, they presented vehicle and product innovations in the areas of alternative drives, digitalisation and sustainability. Jürgen Pauli, Sales Manager at S&G, confirms this: "NUFAM is a really great opportunity to present new vehicles. It is now a very well-established trade fair far beyond the country. We show the vehicles and innovations here that customers explicitly want to look at." Volker Mai, Sales Manager at Pneuhage, has a similar view: "For us, NUFAM is the optimal platform where we can excellently present our innovations such as our new fleet system or new tyres."

NUFAM valued as an investment platform

Around three quarters of the trade fair visitors rated the event as important for their investment decisions.

Jürgen Singhof, Rupp Landhandel from Alzey, confirms this: "At NUFAM I want to gather information, get an overview and see what is currently up to date. I enquire here about products for future investments. I am a regular visitor to this fair and, as always, I like it here very much. The exhibitors appreciate NUFAM as a platform for offers: "We exhibit at NUFAM because we meet decision-makers here and can get a good overview. We are represented here at the fair with a total of 20 exhibits - not only on our stand, but also on those of our partners," says Daniel Böhmer, Managing Director of FX Meiller. Sascha Ziehl, Managing Director of Tiropatrans, adds: "NUFAM is an absolute trade fair. Many visitors who are interested in commercial vehicles and digitalisation come here."

Selection of topics always close to the industry

The focus of NUFAM was on alternative drives. With the newly created forum on charging infrastructure, the topic was extensively illuminated. The Saturday of the trade fair was dominated by electric drives, hydrogen engines and research into synthetic fuels, as well as how to deal with funding programmes.

The nine expert presentations, moderated by Marcus Walter, were very well received by the trade audience. He sums up: "The new forum really hit the spot. There was plenty of time to discuss the questions with the experts."

More exhibiting nations, guests from Germany and Europe

NUFAM 2023 was more international than ever before. With 23 nations represented, companies from more countries than ever before were represented at the Karlsruhe commercial vehicle trade fair. "We aim to acquire new customers and orders with our presence at NUFAM. We are a large international company with headquarters in Poland and have grown strongly in the last five to ten years. Now we are increasingly active in the largest commercial vehicle market in Europe - which is Germany - and want to grow here as well," says Martin Kemker, Sales Manager at Wielton.

About one sixth of all NUFAM guests travelled more than 300 kilometres to the fair. Overall, 80 percent of the fair's guests were trade visitors. There was an even higher concentration of trade visitors on weekdays, combined with an equally higher travel distance. The guests travelled to Karlsruhe from fourteen European countries - for example from France, Italy, the Netherlands or Denmark.

Top values for satisfaction

In terms of visitor satisfaction, NUFAM achieved an absolute top score of almost 95 percent among the top 3. The recommendation value is around 92 percent. "I am visiting NUFAM for the first time this year and I am impressed by the size and the variety of offers. The fair is much more expansive than I initially thought, which is why I'm staying an extra day in Karlsruhe to see all the exhibitors' products," says Alex Savkin, Schlundt Transport.

For Jochen Bortfeld, NUFAM project manager, the eighth edition of the commercial vehicle fair was once again a complete success: "We are always close to the industry and know what the market needs. This concept is convincing and is reflected in the satisfaction of our exhibitors. I am already looking forward to the next edition.

Exhibitors have already confirmed for 2025

Beate Frères, Head of the Own Exhibitions Division at Messe Karlsruhe, draws a positive conclusion: "NUFAM 2023 was a complete success. This is only possible thanks to the intensive cooperation with our exhibitors. They have shown enormous commitment and used the entire range of instruments of the trade fair with numerous press events of their own and the entire marketing keyboard. Added to this are the excellent stand presentations. And I am pleased that many have already given their commitment for the coming commercial vehicle fair in two years."

Kögel will also be back at the start of the next edition of the fair, as Division Manager Marketing Maximilian Franz says: "We have always enjoyed exhibiting here and will continue to do so in the future. The quality of the trade visitors is special. That's something you don't get at other fairs." The next NUFAM will take place from 25 to 28 September 2025.

Space for investment

All well-known manufacturers and dealer of the industry will be present. They show vehicles of all weight classes, superstructures and trailers, tyres, parts, accessories, workshop equipment, telematics solutions and services. NUFAM is characterized by being compact yet comprehensive, manageable and at the same time diverse. It brings decision-makers together, impresses with its short distances and thus offers the ideal framework conditions for making current and future investment decisions.

Jochen Bortfeld, Project Manager at NUFAM, adds: “We are very pleased with the range of more than 800 vehicles, from transporters to semi-trailers, and shows that NUFAM has further consolidated its position in the exhibitors’ calendar.”

Opening event

As part of the NUFAM opening on 21 September at 11 a.m., Elke Zimmer (State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg), Prof. Martin Wietschel (Head of the Competence Center Energy Technologies and Energy Systems at Frauenhofer ISI), Rainer Schmitt (Managing Director Walter Schmitt GmbH), Jörg Hömburg (Managing Director Air Products), Mario Männlein (Head of Alternative Propulsions at IVECO Magirus) and Dr. Stephan Melchert (Manager Product and Marketing eTrailer ZF Group) will discuss the “Climate-neutral road transport – from overhead lines to fuel cells to charging infrastructure”.

State Secretary Elke Zimmer says: “The various drive technologies, such as the battery, the fuel cell (hydrogen) and the overhead line, as well as the pure refueling with synthetic fuels produced with renewable energies, must prove themselves in practice. Here, it will become clear which technology excels in terms of functionality, safety, robustness, cost-effectiveness and attractiveness. At the moment, battery-electric models are becoming the driving force not only in passenger cars but also in the field of truck traffic. also means that we now need to quickly create the framework conditions to create the right charging infrastructure for these vehicles.”

Proven and newly created expert forum

NUFAM is a leading trade fair for the commercial vehicle industry and will continue to impress as a valuable information platform in 2023. The tried-and-tested Telematics Forum was supplemented by the areas of Digital Services. On Thursday and Friday, 18 speakers from business, law and science will present knowledge, research results and, above all, solutions for telematics and digital aid systems in ten-minute short presentations between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Forum will also discuss Artificial Intelligence and how it can help transport logistics.

Interested parties can visit a completely new forum on the Saturday of the fair. In the Charging Infrastructure Forum everything revolves around alternative drives of the future and how these can become reality. Nine short lectures will focus on battery-electric drives, hydrogen and e-fuels. The Forum provides guidance on what kind of alternative drives should be invested in. Both forums are moderated by journalist and industry expert Marcus Walter, who had already led the Media Day.

From Demo Park to Truck Driver Forum

NUFAM combines transport, forwarding and logistics under one roof. Those who make investment decisions are on the ground. Today, however, these decisions are also significantly influenced by those who operate commercial vehicles on a daily basis – professional drivers.

NUFAM also offers a comprehensive programme for these. On Sunday, 24 September, the Truck Driver Forum, moderated by commercial vehicle journalist Thomas Rosenberger, will discuss everything that concerns truck drivers. The focus is on road safety. Experts will discuss the causes and consequences of accidents and how they can be minimised and combated in three panels. These include rear-end collisions on motorways or collisions with cyclists when turning right in cities.

Cargo safety in focus

On Saturday, September 23rd, it will be about cargo security. The Königsberger Load Security Circle offers four lectures from 10.30 a.m. to 4.15 p.m. entitled “Wrong load distribution and its possible consequences”. Other topics of the Truck Driver Forum are “Living healthy on the road”, “Against dying at the end of a traffic jam”, “Wake up at 80 km/h” or “Getting under the wheels. Why there are only losers when turning right”.

In addition, truck drivers can practice in the Dekra truck simulator how to react in hot and dangerous situations in order to prevent worse. The NUFAM Demo Park also shows the full range of commercial vehicles, and the rescue chain shows how they work together in exceptional cases. The King or Queen of Travellers is determined as part of the NUFAM Challenge.

Load securing and Truck Driver Forum

Everything that affects truck drivers is the subject of the main forum in the action hall. The concept of load securing, for example, will be the main topic on Saturday, 23 September. The Königsberger Ladungssicherungskreis (KLSK) will offer four lectures on the subject of "Incorrect load distribution and its possible consequences" from 10.30 am to 4.15 pm. The lectures are conducted as team teaching and last about 75 minutes each. The KLSK is a non-profit association with more than 350 members from Germany and Europe.

On Sunday, 24 September, commercial vehicle journalist Thomas Rosenberger will moderate the forum. The thematic focus will be on road safety. During the three discussion rounds in the Truck Driver Forum, experts will talk about the causes as well as the consequences of accidents and suggest how to combat their causes - be it rear-end collisions on the motorway or collisions with cyclists when turning right in cities.

"Wide awake at 80 km/h"

Dieter Schäfer knows enough about these accidents from his professional work as a motorway police officer. With the prevention association Hellwach mit 80 km/h e.V., he is committed to sharpening the danger radar of professional drivers. Professional drivers and transport companies as well as representatives of the truck industry and the motorway operating company discuss with him in order to find solutions.

The initiative "Hellwach mit 80 km/h" (Wide awake at 80 km/h) was founded in 2019 and has since been drawing attention to the problems and challenges in the stressful everyday working life of drivers. According to the association that emerged from the initiative, in more than 80 per cent of cases the use of a smartphone is responsible for a rear-end collision involving truck drivers at the end of a traffic jam. Mannheim logistics companies and freight forwarders are fighting against these "deadly sins". According to the association, the focus of the presentation at NUFAM is the multilingual educational brochure with the ten Max Eighty Rules.

"This is our second time at NUFAM. We have a unique opportunity here to meet not only the drivers, but all the players involved in the supply chain, in order to convince them to work together to curb truck accidents at the end of traffic jams," says Dieter Schäfer, board member and spokesman for the "Hellwach mit 80 km/h" prevention association.

NUFAM Demo Park and Rescue Chain

The full range of commercial vehicles will be on display at the exhibitors' vehicle presentations in the NUFAM Demo Park. Well-known manufacturers present their latest vehicles in action and amaze the spectators. The rescue chain on Saturday will be exciting and informative. Here it will be shown how various partners work hand in hand in the event of a truck accident. The rescue chain has been a real crowd puller in the past and will continue to be so in the future. As a special highlight, Alex Gräff, one of Germany's best-known professional drifters, will show all his skills in the Demo Park and draw creative donuts on the asphalt with his racing car.

Pilot project of the roadside inspection service

The Roadside Inspection Service (SKD) of the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) is designed to detect conspicuous features on heavy goods vehicles in order to curb dangers. As part of the pilot project "SKD-Digital", the use and interaction of various sensor systems and procedural software were investigated. The aim of these technologies is to detect conspicuous features as they pass. Until now, this was only possible when vehicles were examined while stationary. The aim of the project is also to reduce standing times of truck drivers.

At NUFAM, BALM will present two inspection vehicles. In addition, interested parties will have the opportunity to ask questions on the subject of inspections and to find out about the latest inspection technologies such as the "SKD-Digital" project.

NUFAM Challenge

The "King or Queen of the Travellers" will be determined at the NUFAM Challenge. Starting in August, there will be preliminary questions on the NUFAM website that participants in the competition can answer. The best eight participants will then be invited to NUFAM at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre and will compete against each other on the Saturday of the trade fair. The NUFAM Champion and thus the best professional driver in Germany will be determined there.

If you are a fan of trucks and like to have them in a smaller format in your living room, bedroom or anywhere else, you will find what you are looking for at the Truck Model Exchange. Small vehicles on a scale of 1:87 are sold in the action hall of the Karlsruhe trade fair.

Forums on charging infrastructure and telematics

Exciting presentations on the topics of charging infrastructure and digital services & telematics will be held at the NUFAM forums on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the trade fair. The forums will be moderated by trade journalist Marcus Walter. The presentations will cover topics such as "Telematics & Workshop 4.0 - Fleet Management with Artificial Intelligence", "AI-based Demand Forecasting for Transport Logistics" or "The Future of Hydrogen: How to Convert Vehicle Fleets Step by Step". More information on the content of the forums is available HERE. The entire NUFAM programme is available at nufam.de/programme.

Welche ist die alternative Antriebsart der Zukunft und wie lässt sich diese am besten in den Alltag von Fuhrparkleitern und Herstellern integrieren?“ – über diese Fragen haben am Donnerstag, 22. Juni, Christian Bodi, Geschäftsführer Logistik des Karlsruher Drogerieunternehmens dm, Kurt Sigl, Präsident des Bundesverbands eMobilität, Dr. Olaf Toedter, Leiter der Forschungsgruppe „InnoFuels“ am Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), und Thomas Weidinger, Head of Field Sales Fuel Cards bei Wex, diskutiert.

Outlook for NUFAM

The discussion was part of the first NUFAM Media Day. The aim of the new format was to provide information about NUFAM - The Commercial Vehicle Show from 21 to 24 September, but also to use the discussion to get closer to the practical experience of exhibitors from the commercial vehicle industry. Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe, gave a brief introduction to NUFAM and Karlsruhe as a mobility location. Jochen Bortfeld, Project Manager of NUFAM, first took a look at the upcoming NUFAM. "With 420 to 450 exhibitors, NUFAM will be the biggest in its history so far. Three months from today, we will meet here again," he told around 60 guests who had come to the sunny atrium of Messe Karlsruhe. After the introductory words, they followed a lively and controversial discussion on the question of the right alternative drive for the future. In a good 75 minutes, the discussants wrestled with solutions in a fair manner, but hard and controversial in terms of content.

Dr. Olaf Toedter from KIT, on the other hand, is convinced that there will be a mix of different types of drive in the future: "The decisions are so complex that any simplification won't work." Companies would always have to look at the areas in which they are travelling and with which ranges. For short distances, the answer could be e-mobility, for longer distances synthetic fuels.

Thomas Weidinger, Head of Field Sales Germany at WEX, also took part in the discussion. WEX offers fuel cards with Esso and other providers and is an exhibitor at NUFAM in September. An important part of WEX’s mission is the integration of alternative fuels in the future. “We focus on the needs of our customers who are keen to expedite their energy transition.” WEX is ready to accompany them on their journeys to alternative fuels. "While the classic diesel is still a part of many fleets, companies are looking for fuel card providers such as WEX to help them make the transition.“

The talk will be moderated by Marcus Walter. Before becoming a freelance trade journalist 17 years ago, he was editor-in-chief of Transport and Logistra at Huss-Verlag for a long time. Walter is a proven expert in the logistics industry and knows both the players and the topics of the industry very well.

Karlsruhe, October 03, 2021 - The NUFAM commercial vehicle trade fair closes its halls with strong exhibitor and visitor numbers, matching pre-pandemic times at the last event in 2019. Around 22,000 visitors gathered information over four days from more than 350 manufacturers and service providers from 13 countries, representing the entire spectrum of the commercial vehicle industry. Participants at the first major industry get-together since the start of the pandemic gave top marks for the breadth and quality of the offerings, as well as the organization and the safety and hygiene concept. A higher proportion of trade visitors, greater coverage and personal exchange made NUFAM 2021 an all-round successful trade fair.

Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe: "Messe Karlsruhe has succeeded in firmly anchoring NUFAM in Europe. With the innovative technologies on display for alternative drives and sustainable-efficient solutions for the freight transport of tomorrow, NUFAM fits perfectly into the research landscape of the Karlsruhe technology region. For example, the Karlsruhe KIT presented its current research in the field of re-fuels and many other research institutions along the Rhine-Rail also showed brand-new results of their mobility research."

The exhibitors at NUFAM present innovative commercial vehicle technology from the fields of alternative drives, digitalization and sustainability. Various research projects show the changes the commercial vehicle industry will face in the coming years. The spectrum ranges from solar cells on truck roofs to synthetic fuels and the use of artificial intelligence in transportation.

Jochen Bortfeld, NUFAM project manager, is pleased with the successful conclusion of the trade fair: "NUFAM 2021 was a complete success. We were able to continue the good visitor numbers of the trade fair - despite the pandemic! The exhibitors and visitors made optimal use of the fair to finally exchange ideas in person again and to do business directly at the vehicle. This is what NUFAM stands for and we were able to make this possible, including the highest safety standards and a good and, above all, flexible organization. I am very pleased about how positively the trade show was received by all participants."

NUFAM with increased reach and willingness to invest

The innovation and investment dynamics in the commercial vehicle industry are reflected at the trade show: the trade visitor share as well as the willingness to invest have increased compared to 2019. Investments, particularly in the mid-six-figure range, have increased. In addition, more than 79 percent of visitors plan to buy or order something after the show. Personal exchange is particularly important to visitors and exhibitors. This is also confirmed by Thomas Rosenberger, spokesman for Kögel Trailer GmbH: "It was great to finally have a live event again. We were very enthusiastic about the response from the trade visitors and decision-makers and about the fact that a really large number of people came - from top-class fleet operators to drivers and fans. We had great conversations and sold a lot of vehicles. We were very happy to be able to be here again, to present ourselves and to talk about our products." Patrik Neuwinger, Head of Sales and Rental at Terberg Spezialfahrzeuge, has a similarly positive assessment of the trade fair appearance: "We are highly satisfied with the trade fair itself, with the visitors, with the visitor frequency and also with the quality of the discussions. We have experienced very great popularity and intend to appear here in the future with a somewhat changed offer from our side."

The longing for a live event was high and many visitors accepted long journeys to be part of it. The journey from over 300 km has increased by 5 percent compared to 2019. This is also confirmed by Ralf Merkelbach, Head of Key Account Management Large Fleets Europe at BPW Bergische Achsen Kommanditgesellschaft: "As exhibitors, we thrive on coming into contact with our customers here, and that's why trade fairs are extremely important for us. NUFAM itself has developed very well over the years. There have been trade visitors at the stand from neighboring countries such as Austria and also from all over Germany. For us, it was a great feeling to meet people again here at the first major commercial vehicle trade fair and, of course, to be able to show them our innovations that we have launched in the meantime during the pandemic."

NUFAM as a platform for premieres

Never before have so many premieres been shown as at this year's NUFAM. The exhibitors at NUFAM deliberately chose the first major commercial vehicle show as a platform for their new launches. In particular, they presented vehicle and product innovations in the areas of alternative drives, digitalization and sustainability. Manuel Dreher, Managing Director of DAF sales partner EBB-Truck-Center showed the premiere of the new more efficient and even safer DAF vehicle generation exclusively at NUFAM: "We are very satisfied, and so are our customers. We have received only positive feedback. Everyone is happy to be able to go to a trade fair again. With the new generation of DAF, which is being shown to the general public for the first time, we have a real visitor magnet at the stand. We have closed some deals, especially for the new vehicle. We are also very confident about the post-show business."

All participants rewarded Messe Karlsruhe with very high satisfaction ratings and a high recommendationrate. 93% of visitors gave the hygiene concept top marks. Around 97% of visitors are very satisfied with their visit to the trade fair overall. Jochen Bortfeld sums up: "In an initial survey, the exhibitors announced higher intentions to participate again. Our commitment and that of the exhibitors has paid off in full.

The next NUFAM will take place from September 21 to 24, 2023 at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center.

NUFAM - The commercial vehicle trade fair

NUFAM is a leading trade fair for the commercial vehicle industry and combines current technology with mobility concepts of the future. The seventh NUFAM - the commercial vehicle trade fair will take place from September 30 to October 3, 2021 at Messe Karlsruhe. Exhibitors will present the industry's entire range of products and services: vehicles of all weight classes, e-mobility, alternative drives and hybrid systems, bodies and trailers, cranes and lifting equipment, tires, parts, accessories, workshop equipment, telematics solutions, and services. As a top-class industry get-together for personal networking, NUFAM offers symposia on telematics, workshops, municipal vehicles and load securing, as well as lectures and discussion panels on current industry topics. For trade visitors, NUFAM is an important platform for investment decisions.

Further information at: nufam.de & facebook.com/nufam.karlsruhe & linkedin.com/company/nufam-karlsruhe

NUFAM – The Trade Fair for Commercial Vehicles will take place as planned at the fairgrounds in Karlsruhe from 30 September to 3 October 2021. The organizers at Karlsruhe Trade Fair Company are confident and see a bright green light for this first major gathering of the commercial vehicle industry since the start of the pandemic. With the amendments to the Corona Ordinance of the State of Baden-Württemberg that took effect on 7 June 2021, the trade fair industry is looking confidently toward reopening, the official ordinance serving as the basis for planning the upcoming seventh edition of NUFAM. In accord with the latest incidence statistics and with implementation of all necessary protective and hygienic measures, NUFAM 2021 will once again combine current technology and mobility concepts of the future.

High level of participation among exhibitors with focus on New Mobility

Project Manager Jochen Bortfeld comments on the planning status: “We see the pressure to innovate in the industry and are convinced that we can offer a safe atmosphere for urgently needed face-to-face sharing. Anticipation of NUFAM as the year’s preeminent platform for investment and information is as strong as ever. This enthusiasm is also clearly expressed through the support we receive from our exhibitors. Together with them, we look forward to putting the pedal to the metal as we approach the homestretch leading to this year’s fair.”

More than 350 exhibitors from all sectors will present their latest transport solutions on a total of 70,000 square metres in the Karlsruhe Trade Fair’s halls and on the adjacent outdoor campus. The trade fair for commercial vehicles will also focus on the latest developments in all aspects of the freight mobility of the future, including a variety of practice-oriented formats ranging from lecture series and discussion roundtables to New Mobility tours. Despite the pandemic, NUFAM is not losing its international character: exhibitors from other European countries in particular – especially Italy, France and the Benelux countries – will present their innovations at the upcoming fair.

The lively interest among exhibitors reflects NUFAM’s importance as a platform for information and investment. When the fair opens in the autumn of 2021, it will be the first major meeting for the diverse commercial vehicle industry since the beginning of the pandemic. Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre remains in close contact with authorities, exhibitors and partners to assure the safety of all participants.

Project Manager Jochen Bortfeld is similarly confident that NUFAM is indeed well positioned: “We are receiving plenty of positive feedback from the industry for our trade fair’s concept, which focuses on presentations of vehicles and products, while simultaneously providing ample space for personal sharing. We already have numerous confirmed bookings: former exhibitors and new interested parties alike are eager to find their way back into the trade fair business.”