The Industrial & Off-Highway Vehicle Technology Expo (iVT Expo) launched its first North American showcase in Chicago, Illinois. Originally a European expo, the show caters to the off-highway vehicle design and engineering community. Since 2017, iVT Expo has only increased its popularity, attracting attention from the international industry. The long-anticipated North American debut took place from August 31st to September 1st, 2022.
Delta-Q Technologies (Delta-Q) and its parent company ZAPI GROUP were thrilled to take part as exhibitors at this year’s event. With a highly focused exhibitor list, attendees and vendors had the opportunity to conduct quality meetings with suppliers at all levels.
Thought-Provoking Discussions with Tier One OEMs
A veteran attendee of the European shows, Delta-Q’s Senior Product Manager, Mourad Chergui, had high hopes for the North American debut. From meaningful conversations with current and prospective customers to engagement with trade publications, Mourad was not disappointed. He summed up the experience, saying, “this was one of the best trade shows I have attended in a long time in North America, especially for its quality of visitors and the level of engagement with customers and prospects.”
Rod Dayrit, Delta-Q’s Director of Business Development, was equally complimentary of the show! He had thought-provoking discussions with top-tier OEM customers and trade publications, like OEM Off-Highway magazine, where he discussed best practices for working with high-voltage systems. Traffic through the booth was steady throughout the two-day event, with attendees from multiple sectors, including construction, material handling and mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) spaces. Rod observed, “The show floor and venue were small enough to allow us to have meaningful conversations and discussions with key prospects and current customers alike.”
Educating Attendees on Electric Powertrain Voltage Levels
During the conference portion, Mourad took the stage as a presenter for an info session. His presentation, “The Impact of Electric Powertrain Voltage Levels,” reviewed various powertrain standard voltage levels and the benefits of 72-120V intermediary voltage powertrains and components. Mourad discussed how aligning powertrain voltages around standardized levels can benefit OEMs. A couple of the benefits noted were (1) Inventory flexibility with the ability to use commercial, off-the-shelf components and (2) Availability of abundant safety-related materials, regulations, and best practices.
Key Trends in the Industrial & Off-Highway Vehicle Market
On top of presenting information, our team gained insights into current global trends in the off-highway vehicle market. A few of the key takeaways were:
- Longer run times and higher power needs are causing an uptick in high-voltage and high-power on-board chargers in the construction and material handling sectors.
- The material handling equipment (MHE) industry, which is about 65% electrified, is looking at electrifying Class 4 and 5 internal combustion engine (ICE) equipment.
- China is emerging as a global leader (second to Europe) in construction equipment electrification for its domestic market. A handful of major Chinese companies have electrified most of their portfolios, while North America is trailing behind.
- The U.S. also has eyes on electrification. California just passed legislation to ban all ICE vehicles by 2035. In addition, the Biden administration set 25 billion dollars towards clean energy transformation, including an emphasis on electrification.
What Should we Anticipate for Next Year?
Electrification is a big topic, and the conversation isn’t showing signs of winding down anytime soon. “Since this was the inaugural show here in the US, I suspect it received enough positive feedback to return for a second year. If it does return, I’m sure the show will have more exhibitors and attendees and possibly take place in a larger venue,” concluded Rod Dayrit. We look forward to seeing what iVT Expo has in store for us next year!
About Delta-Q Technologies
Delta-Q Technologies is charging the future and driving the world’s transition into electric energy. We collaboratively design, test, and manufacture robust battery chargers that improve the performance of our customer’s electric drive vehicles and industrial machines. As the supplier of choice for Tier 1 OEMs, we use our values, perseverance, and engineering expertise to guide our customers through the electrification process for a more sustainable world.
We are part of the ZAPI GROUP of companies and are headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Delta-Q’s team and distribution span five continents to service industries such as electric golf cars, lift trucks, aerial work platforms, e-mobility, floor care machines, utility/recreational vehicles, and emerging markets, like outdoor power equipment.
