Wacker Neuson Opens the Factory Doors

A week-long event at its Austrian compact equipment hub put new wheeled machines, factory lines and autonomous concepts in front of European customers

When a manufacturer invites customers onto the factory floor for a week, the product is only part of the message. Wacker Neuson used its Universe 2026 event to make a broader argument: that closeness to the people who run its machines is now a competitive asset.

From 19 to 24 September, the group’s production and development site in Hörsching, near Linz in Austria, hosted customers, partners and employees from across Europe. The programme combined demo shows, factory tours, expert talks, test arena visits, an equipment exhibition and live tests, under the motto “solutions built for you”.

New machines, seen at work

The centrepiece was the EW135 wheeled excavator, which opens a new performance class in Wacker Neuson’s wheeled range. Its permanently mounted articulated boom is designed for stability and high lifting forces, and a heavy-lift demonstration was part of the show. The machine combines intelligent hydraulics, MiC 4.0 technology and integration with modern attachments.

The WL750p and WL950p wheel loaders, launched in September 2026, were also presented to a wider audience. Their assistance systems, including a loading assistant, automatic bucket return and a lift height limiter, target repetitive work cycles. Travel speeds reach 40 km/h, and the Power Drive and Load Sensing systems, with standard Flow Sharing, combine hydraulic performance with intuitive operation.

Beyond the production range, the company showed design studies, prototype work and remote-controlled and autonomous machine concepts. In practical terms, that gave visitors a look at where compact equipment development is heading, not only at what they can order today.

The site as part of the pitch

The Hörsching plant covers 170,000 square metres and is where the group develops and builds compact excavators and dumpers for worldwide use. Factory tours covered logistics, the paint shop, the shipping area and the excavator and dumper lines.

Guests also visited the TestArena, in operation since 2023 next to the plant. The eight-hectare site has stations for function, driving, braking and noise tests, while about 70 percent of the area is set aside as wildlife habitat and nature reserve.

“The Wacker Neuson Universe offered a unique brand experience and the ideal platform to introduce new products, bring the entire portfolio to life, and foster direct dialogue with our customers and partners,” said Alexander Greschner, Chief Sales Officer of the Wacker Neuson Group. He added that digital innovations, zero emission solutions and dialogue with customers were at the heart of the event, and that customer proximity is decisive for understanding market requirements.

What it means for buyers

For dealers and fleet managers, an event of this kind shortens the distance between a launch and a purchase decision: the EW135 and the new loaders could be assessed in operation rather than on a spec sheet. For Wacker Neuson, it is also a way to keep its zero emission and digital offering in conversation with the people who will have to fit it into daily jobsite routines.

Whether the format turns into orders will show in the coming quarters. For now, the message from Hörsching is that the company wants customers to try its machines, and ask questions, before they buy.