IAA 2026: BPW presents the next generation of the wheel end for Europe's 9t trailer segment

• Weight saving: -20 kg per axle, for more usable load
• Warranty: 8 years' warranty with no mileage limit
• Easy to service – quick disassembly and assembly via the central axle nut using the Formula 1 method
• Robustness: the modern bionic design of the wheel hub and brake disc offers maximum stability with minimum use of material
• Reduced roll resistance: lower fuel consumption reduces operating costs

Wiehl/Hanover, 14 September 2026 – With the Wheelend ECO Pro, BPW presents a comprehensive new development for Europe’s highest-volume axle segment at IAA 2026. The new wheel end for 9-tonne axles with offset 120 disc brakes saves 20 kg in weight per axle, comes with an 8-year warranty, is easy to service, and features a bionic wheel hub and brake disc for exceptionally high durability.

The 9-tonne segment is the backbone of European road freight transport. More than three-quarters of all trailers in this class are now fitted with disc brakes with an offset of 120. So this is not a niche segment, but rather the benchmark against which every improvement in European freight transport can be measured. At IAA Transportation 2026, BPW will present the world premiere of the Wheelend ECO Pro, which has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of this sector. This is not a minor tweak, but a fundamentally redesigned running gear solution. The wheel end transfers the load to the road, affects energy efficiency and determines operating costs through maintenance requirements and availability. A component of critical importance – yet one that is often overlooked.

Weight saving

Less weight means a greater usable load, and hence an immediate economic benefit for vehicle operators. This is exactly where the new BPW Wheelend ECO Pro comes in. It reduces the weight of an axle by 20 kg, thereby creating 60 kg of additional usable load capacity in a three-axle vehicle, which translates into tangible benefits in day-to-day transport operations.

The wheel end can be combined with both the ECO Air air suspension, BPW's solution for cost-effective high-volume trailers, and the Airlight II air suspension. With its ultra-light LightTube trailing arm, Airlight II is the lightweight construction champion in the 9t segment. Together with the new wheel end, the weight saving amounts to 34 kg per axle here, totalling more than 100 kg on a three-axle vehicle.

"We have perfectly tuned the disc brake to the 9-tonne segment, completely redesigned the hub and bearings, adapted the axle nut design and optimised the interface between the wheel end and the axle, thereby maximising the usable load in every detail without compromising on stability and durability," says Bernhard Rossenbach, Head of BPW Product Management.

Unique warranty and ease of service

The reliability of the solution is also demonstrated by an 8-year warranty with no mileage limit, which is unique in the trailer market and which BPW offers for the new Wheelend ECO Pro upon registration. This means that vehicle operators can benefit from enhanced planning certainty and operating costs that can be reliably forecast over the long term.

In spite of the comprehensive redesign, the familiar and well-proven BPW ECO principle for time-saving servicing, for example when changing brake discs, remains fully intact: the integrated pulling device enables quick wheel end removal based on the Formula 1 method, without the need for any additional tools. At the same time, the design helps to minimise potential sources of error during maintenance work and to increase vehicle availability.

Robustness: Wheel hub and brake disc modelled on nature

The Wheelend ECO Pro derives its high robustness from a new, patent-pending bionic wheel hub and brake disc, which experts would recognise at first glance from the hub’s organic-looking shape. The component's' shape follows the lines of force at the wheel end and, taking its cue from nature, distributes the material precisely where it is needed.

Low rolling resistance, reduced fuel consumption.

BPW continues to rely on its well-known, service-friendly stepped bearing system, while at the same time reducing friction within the bearing to a minimum. The BPW Wheelend ECO Pro thus sets a new benchmark for low rolling resistance in the 9-tonne segment, thereby reducing fuel consumption, which has a direct impact on the operational costs faced by vehicle operators today.

Small-scale production 2027

IAA Transportation 2026 marks the launch of the Wheelend ECO Pro: small-scale production from 2027, series production from 2030. "All in all, we have filed patent applications for five technical highlights relating to this new development," says Bernhard Rossenbach. "At our exhibition stand, we’re giving customers a first glimpse into our new technology."

BPW can be found on stand A30 in Hall 26 at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hannover.