Reflecting on Fleet & Mobility Live 2026

Fleet & Mobility Live 2026 brought more than 2,200 fleet professionals to Birmingham's NEC, alongside over 100 exhibitors and 60 industry speakers. Those figures alone really do cement its position as “the UK's most important fleet event”.

I’ve attended quite a number of fleet events over the years, but after arriving at the NEC, one thing immediately stood out this time around. And it won’t come as much surprise that that was the growing presence of Chinese manufacturers.

It felt like the first major fleet show where virtually every significant Chinese OEM was in the room: Omoda, Jaecoo, LEPAS, BYD, Geely, Tiggo – they were all there. And for a sector that has long been dominated by established European, Japanese and Korean marques, it was a clear sign that the fleet vehicle market is being reshaped… and quickly. Fleet buyers now have a lot more choice, and a lot more to evaluate.

Unsurprisingly, the road to zero was the topic throughout the exhibition halls and seminar programme. But speaking to several businesses, the conversations extended far beyond electrification. Cost control, fleet efficiency, connected vehicle data and driver wellbeing were all in focus, reflecting the challenges that go alongside electrification.

Interestingly, several of our clients reported that the event wasn't necessarily overflowing with immediate sales leads, but to be fair that wasn't really the point. The value came from conversations, and the event continues to provide a rare opportunity for suppliers, operators and industry stakeholders to sit down face-to-face, rather than over endless Teams calls.

Supporting Volteras at the event provided a particularly interesting perspective. What became clear throughout the two days was that the industry's appetite for connected vehicle data is certainly growing. Conversations around telematics, data accessibility and turning vehicle information into actionable insight are becoming more sophisticated as fleet operators look for new ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Elsewhere, Northgate Mobility hosted a (sadly, power cut-disrupted) panel discussion on the Drive to Zero. Despite the interruption, it was clear from the session that organisations are now ready to make the move but remain concerned about the financial implications. Questions around upfront costs, charging infrastructure and long-term operational impact continue to create hesitation, even as confidence in EV technology grows.

If Fleet & Mobility Live 2026 demonstrated anything, it's that the fleet sector is rapidly changing. The conversation is shifting from whether businesses should embrace new technologies and new powertrains to how they do so in the most cost-effective way possible. The route to electrification is increasingly being shaped by data, operational efficiency and a better understanding of what fleets need to succeed.

For me, and is often the case nowadays at these kind of events, the quality of discussion and conversations around where the industry’s heading is what made Fleet & Mobility Live particularly valuable, rather than the vehicles on display.