The award is decided by the International Truck of the Year jury, which consists of 24 commercial vehicle editors and senior journalists representing the most important international truck and transport media titles.
After an extensive series of tests, the jury gave DAF the award due its XF, XG and XG⁺ setting “a new industry benchmark in efficiency, safety and driver comfort.”
DAF employees were handed the award at the Solutrans truck & transport exhibition in Lyon yesterday.
Based on the International Truck of the Year (IToY) rules, the annual award is presented to the truck which was introduced in the past year and which has made the most significant contribution to road transport efficiency.
As DAF explains, this judgment relies on a comprehensive range of criteria that includes technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental ‘footprint’ and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
At yesterday’s ceremony, Gianenrico Griffini, chairman of the ‘International Truck of the Year’ jury, praised DAF’s new models for their efficiency and variety of features:
“DAF is the first truck manufacturer to introduce a completely new generation of trucks that has been developed with the new European regulations for truck masses and dimensions in mind. The result is a series of highly attractive and very aerodynamic trucks which features class-leading efficiency, safety and driver comfort. The new XF, XG and XG⁺ offer excellent direct visibility provided by a large, curved windscreen, side windows with low beltlines and the kerb-view window. These features – along with the digital vision system that replaces the traditional side view mirrors and the new corner view camera – offer all-around view, protecting vulnerable road users”.
Summing up the jury vote, IToY jury chairman Gianenrico Griffini commented:
“With the introduction of its new generation trucks, DAF has delivered a high-tech, heavy-duty vehicle range that sets a new benchmark in the industry. In addition, it is future-oriented, as it also represents a complete and very energy efficient platform for new generations of alternative energy carriers and drivelines.”
In addition, DAF also won the the ‘2022 Truck Innovation Award’ for its XF Innovation Truck with a hydrogen combustion engine.
Ron Borsboom, DAF’s executive director of product development, said the award shows that there is still a promising future ahead for the internal combustion engine:
“This specific award underlines our philosophy that we need to explore the full suite of technologies on the road of decarbonisation of transport and mobility in the next decade. Hydrogen technology may become a very interesting option for the future, next to battery electric solutions which we already offer today and hybrid trucks which we have under development. Being honoured with the ‘Truck Innovation Award 2022’ also demonstrates that there is still a promising future for the internal combustion engine (ICE) for which new generations of carbon neutral fuels are on the horizon. It is important to understand that bringing an end to the use of fossil fuels should by no means automatically result in a ban on internal combustion engines, especially in the heavy duty long haul transport segment.”
Ron Borsboom added:
“H2-ICE means that in many areas use can be made of an existing distribution network of fuel stations. And let’s put more value in the fact that we in Europe have extensive knowledge and a manufacturing footprint in this technology.”