iVT Expo USA 2026 doubles down on autonomy and off-highway electrification

Live equipment demonstrations on the show floor give attendees a hands-on look at the telematics and hydraulic integration driving the technology conversation at iVT Expo USA 2026

(Images courtesy of iVT Expo USA)

Autonomy is no longer a research exercise for off-highway OEMs. Construction, agriculture, mining, material handling and forestry manufacturers are working through how quickly pilot programmes in autonomous operation, electrified drivetrains and AI-driven hydraulics convert into production commitments. That shift is visible in this year’s programme at iVT Expo USA, returning to Chicago’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on August 19 and 20, 2026, with organisers confirming more than 160 exhibitors, over 2,000 industry professionals and 50 or more speakers across the two-day event.

Conference access widens for iVT Expo USA 2026

The biggest structural change this year is access. Conference sessions that previously required a separate pass are now included with expo registration, giving every attendee entry to the Off-Highway Evolution Conference, the returning NFPA Advanced Hydraulics Conference and a newly introduced Plenary Discussions strand called The Business of Technologies. Event director Ram Seira framed the shift as a response to how the engineering problem itself has changed, noting that OEMs increasingly need to understand how electrification, hydraulics, autonomy, software and HMI work together rather than as isolated disciplines.

OEMs lead an autonomy-heavy speaker line-up

The plenary programme puts that system-level framing into practice across three sessions. A fireside chat examines how commercial off-the-shelf technology can support U.S. military ground vehicle requirements, a panel addresses off-highway autonomy at what organisers call an inflection point, and a third session covers AI-enabled and automated machines alongside the hydraulic systems needed to support them. Confirmed participants include Volvo Construction Equipment, Forterra, Deere & Company, REMNAV, Komatsu, Bosch Rexroth, Scanreco North America and the National Fluid Power Association, spanning the OEM, autonomy specialist and fluid power sides of that conversation in a single strand.

The wider conference builds out from there. Electrification and alternative fuels sessions from John Deere, Cummins and Argonne National Laboratory cover renewable fuels, hydrogen internal combustion engines and powertrain efficiency. Autonomy, digital architecture and connected systems get a dedicated track through SICK, Bosch Rexroth and ifm efector, addressing safe perception and edge AI for off-highway automation. A third strand on operator interface, security and in-cabin technology brings in CNH Industrial America, EAO and Trimble to look at ergonomics, HMI usability, V2X and GNSS authentication, the parts of autonomy development that get less attention than the perception and control systems around them.

Four technology areas define the iVT Expo USA 2026 show floor

The exhibition floor mirrors that same structure. Powertrain, hydraulics and fluid power exhibitors include Bonfiglioli USA, Bosch Rexroth and Parker Hannifin. Electrification and energy systems are represented by ZAPI Group, Inventus Power and Delta-Q Technologies. Automation, autonomy and digitalisation suppliers include SICK, Topcon Positioning Systems and ifm efector, and HMI, electronics and operator systems exhibitors include John Deere Electronics, EAO and J.W. Speaker. The NFPA Advanced Hydraulics Conference content sits alongside all four, with sessions on electrohydraulic system architecture, AI-enabled service strategies, cybersecurity and connected fluid power tracking how hydraulics is adapting to electrification and automation rather than being displaced by them.

Networking runs through a Day One Drinks Reception and a new NFPA Lounge, giving hydraulic specialists and NFPA members a dedicated meeting point separate from the main show floor traffic.

For OEMs, engineers, system integrators and suppliers working across construction, agriculture, mining, material handling, forestry and specialist industrial machines, the combination of expanded conference access, a 50-plus speaker programme and 160-plus exhibitors makes iVT Expo USA 2026 a more complete two days than previous editions. Registration for the August event is open at ivtexpo-usa.com.

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