ZF Wins the Truck Innovation Award 2027 with its TraXon Hybrid

Press Release Hanover, 14 September 2026

ZF Wins the Truck Innovation Award 2027 with its TraXon Hybrid

ZF has won the title of “Truck Innovation Award 2027” for its new TraXon Hybrid transmission, recognised by the International Truck of the Year jury as the most significant innovation of the year in the field of technologies applied to commercial vehicles.

On behalf of the jury, composed of 25 specialised journalists, its president Florian Engel presented this prestigious award to Andreas Moser, member of ZF’s Management Board, during the “Night of the Stars” gala evening, organised at IAA Transportation in Hanover on Monday, 14 September 2026.

The Truck Innovation Award – which recognises technological transformation and the energy transition in the commercial vehicle sector – is presented by the International Truck of the Year (IToY) jury. It is composed of 25 specialised journalists representing the leading European and South African media outlets dedicated to transport vehicles.

With TraXon Hybrid, ZF integrates hybrid technology into the architecture of transmissions intended for heavy-duty trucks. The system combines ZF’s recognised expertise in the field of gearboxes with its experience in electrified powertrains. It therefore offers manufacturers an additional solution to reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, CO₂ emissions.

This concept is particularly important in markets and application areas where the transition towards the complete electrification of transport vehicles is progressing at different rates depending on the missions. By integrating an electric machine into the TraXon platform, the system allows manufacturers to incorporate hybrid functionalities into conventional powertrain architectures, while retaining the flexibility required for a wide range of transport missions.

TraXon Hybrid can perform several functions associated with electrified powertrains, including braking energy recuperation, assistance to the internal combustion engine and fully electric driving. Hybridisation can therefore reduce the workload of the traditional engine and improve the overall efficiency of the transmission, particularly in operating conditions characterised by frequent variations in speed and load.

ZF’s solution also demonstrates how proven heavy-duty vehicle powertrain technologies can continue to evolve during the transition towards zero-emission transport. TraXon Hybrid offers truck manufacturers an additional option to improve efficiency and reduce emissions, but also the possibility of adapting their product strategies to the different infrastructure, regulatory and operating conditions around the world.

With a total score of 77 votes, ZF prevailed over four other finalists representing some of the most important areas of innovation in road freight transport: BYD’s Flash Charging and Blade Battery 2.0, Cellcentric’s BZA375 fuel cell, Iveco and PlusAI’s Level 4 autonomous driving programme, as well as Scania ProDriver.

TraXon Hybrid was recognised for combining a high degree of technological innovation with clear potential for practical application in heavy-duty transport.

During the award ceremony, Florian Engel, president of the IToY jury, highlighted:

“Through the intelligent integration of hybridisation into a proven transmission platform for heavy-duty vehicles, ZF TraXon Hybrid demonstrates that the transition towards more sustainable road freight transport can rely on a wide range of different technological solutions.”

The 2027 Candidates (In alphabetical order)

BYD Flash Charging and Blade Battery 2.0 Cellcentric BZA375 Fuel Cell Iveco and PlusAI Level 4 Autonomous Driving Programme Scania ProDriver ZF TraXon Hybrid

About the International Truck of the Year

The International Truck of the Year (IToY) organisation is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year. Founded in 1976 by British journalist Pat Kennett, the jury now has 24 members representing the leading specialised media outlets covering commercial vehicles across Europe.

In recent years, the IToY group has also expanded its influence by appointing associate members in South Africa, Australia, Brazil, China, the United States, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Malaysia and New Zealand. It thus provides global representation of the key road freight transport markets.

The combined audience of the 24 jury members and the 10 associate members exceeds 50 million people across all media channels.

About DEKRA

The IToY organisation thanks DEKRA for its independent supervision, the counting of votes and the certification of the final results.

DEKRA was founded in 1925 with the aim of improving road safety through vehicle inspections. Today, DEKRA is the world’s largest independent and privately held organisation in the fields of testing, inspection and certification.

As a global provider of comprehensive services and solutions, DEKRA supports its customers in improving their performance in terms of safety, security and sustainability.

DEKRA’s eight divisions – Vehicle Inspection, Claims and Expertise, Product Testing, Industrial Inspection, Consulting, Audits, Training and Temporary Work – offer a broad portfolio of services. DEKRA employs more than 48,000 people in 60 countries around the world.