annual Truck Innovation Award has been launched in 2018 by the International Truck of the Year organisation (IToY) which reflects the ongoing energy-transition taking place within the automotive industry towards new, unconventional, low-environmental footprint trucks.

Entries to the Truck Innovation Award will be nominated and judged in parallel with the long-running International Truck of the Year award.

The main criterion for the nomination and election of a truck for the Truck Innovation Award will be based on its likely contribution to increasing the efficiency of transport of goods by road in the foreseeable future, as well as the potential reduction of its environmental footprint within the countries involved in the International Truck of the Year Organisation.

The nominated truck must be an advanced technology vehicle, with a gross vehicle weight over 3.5 tonnes. It should either feature an alternative driveline — e.g. hybrid, hybrid range-extender, all-electric — or have an alternative fuel-system such as LNG/CNG/ hydrogen/fuel cells etc.

Alternatively, it will have specific ‘Hi-tech’ solutions in terms of ‘vehicle connectivity’ — whether semi-autonomous /fully-autonomous driving systems, ‘platooning’ capability, advanced support services such as remote diagnostics etc. — that are still in a prototype/early-development phase (single unit), or in ‘small series’ production.

But whatever the specification, ‘Truck Innovation Award’ nominees must be a ‘driveable truck’ i.e. one-off concept vehicles are not eligible.

The inaugural ceremony of the Truck Innovation Award will take place during the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover when the first winner will be announced