Major Battery Show Trends for 2024 Included a New Venue, Improving Efficiency, & More Diversity of Attendees’ Industries

The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo was a huge success for our team and the industry. As attendees attended educational sessions and walked the expo floor, several Battery Show trends for 2024 emerged. Among the trends were:

• Improved efficiency of existing components
• An increase in the industry diversity of the attendees, including more engineers from off-highway manufacturers
• An interest in low-voltage (LV) inverters

Experts’ Battery Show Trends for 2024

Several experts weighed in on these trends.

George Patterson, Turntide Senior Product Director

While the electric vehicle (EV) market has slowed of late, the trajectory is still upward. Also, manufacturers are working to help remove one of the major barriers to EV adoption: The need for an improved charging infrastructure. There are also positives around the slow down including decreased battery prices. As inventories are sold, however, demand and prices will likely increase.

Greg Schulz, EV Engineering Segment Lead for Charged Magazine

Learning about the materials for batteries such as cleaning, coating welding was also interesting. During a panel discussion with Specialty Coating Solutions, Indium, and Kyzen, the panelists talked about some materials that manufacturers may not know about, which are not super expensive. They could be gamechangers and was one of the major Battery Show trends for 2024.

Steven Vincent, Turntide Software Technical Lead

A major trend I saw at the show is the restoration of classic cars or retro-styled EV cars. Some of these included retrofits to existing cars. We also have seen an increased interest and curiosity about axial flux motors.

In addition, visitors to the booth had a broad interest in applications for LV inverters. While this was unexpected, the LV interest may mean that a manufacturer is at the beginning of the EV journey and starting with a smaller vehicle or piece of equipment.

Spencer Clark, Turntide Sales Account Manager

We saw attendees from a wide range of industry verticals. These included:

• Retro vehicles
• Timber/lumber green applications
• Material handling
• Construction
• Marnie
• Lift equipment
• Landscaping
• Strategic partnerships

James Labonte, Vice President of Sales, North America

I agree that diversity was a huge trend, in terms of exhibitors and attendees. In previous years, the attendees and exhibitors were not as diverse and were mainly on-highway. 

We also saw a divisions between LV and high-voltage attendees. More people than before were looking for higher voltage, for example, more than 700. And a lot of people were looking for under 100 volts.

In addition, the show this year is huge. We are pleased with the move to the new venue.

Phillip Bolton, Turnide North America Business Development Director

I was impressed with the strong representation from the supply base with a big focus on battery materials. In addition, the event had a strong conference program and excellent presenters, and the attendees were the right people we needed to see.

Media Conversations

When we are at an expo or conference, one of our goals is to always talk with editors of trade magazines to share our technology at the booth and get their ideas regarding trends during the events. We were thrilled to meet with several editors this year.

Power Progress

One Day 1, Power Progress Managing Editor Chad Elmore visited the booth. We discussed axial flux motors and the total cost of batteries. Our team looks forward to working with the Elmore and the magazine to help educate the industry on electric-battery technology.

OEM Off Highway

On Day 2, the team talked with OEM Off-Highway Editor Chris Vavra. Vice President of Sales for North America James Labonte gave Vavra a booth tour and explained the technologies. Vavra talked with James about the technology, especially axial flux motors, and included some of that information in his post-show report.

Charged EVs

Greg Shulz, EV engineering segment lead for Charged magazine, visited with our team. He was generous with his time and shared his biggest trends of the 2024 event.

“The biggest trend I’ve seen is that, last year,  the focus was on new technology and the next generation of tech. This year, the focus is on how we get more efficient. How do we make the manufacturing process faster and less expensive?” Shulz said. 

Also, he shared that manufacturers are looking to get costs down and optimize what exists versus making something new. The challenge in the past has been apologizing for EVs’ price instead of talking about all the things that  EVs can do. 

“If we are successful with this goal, it will be a game changer for the industry,” Shulz said.

The Battery Show & Electric Hybrid Vehicle Tech Expo 2025

We hope that you will join us and the rest of the industry next year, October 6 through October 9, 2025, for all the action. If you plan to attend next year, our tip is to take advantage of the roof-top parking. The elevators take you just outside the exhibit hall, making entry and exit simple. At the event, we also hope you’ll visit our team and see our technology at Booth 2735.