As in every even year, the IAA in Hanover was the venue for the presentation of the Vehicle of the Year trophies for the following year. Alternating with the French Solutrans show in odd years, these awards, called Stars of the Year, recognize the Truck of the Year, Bus of the Year, Utility Vehicle of the Year and Trailer of the Year, the latter category being subdivided into several segments.
The 2025 Winners
Truck of the Year: The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 was crowned for its exceptional performance. Equipped with two 400 kW electric motors each and three 207 kWh LFP battery packs, it offers a range of more than 500 km without recharging. Series production will begin at the end of November 2024 in Wörth.
Innovation Trophy: Man’s hTGX was recognised for its performance and manoeuvrability, rivalling that of a diesel truck. It is powered by a 16.8-litre H4576 inline-6 hydrogen engine.
Commercial Vehicle of the Year: The electric Renault Master won the international award, highlighting Renault’s commitment to the energy transition.
Bus of the Year: Solaris impressed the jury with its significant advances in hydrogen, winning the award for its exceptional performance.
A Clear Trend Towards Electric and Hydrogen
This edition of the IAA clearly showed the road transport sector’s direction towards electric and hydrogen solutions. The jury wanted to reward not only the best products and innovations, but also encourage the entire sector to pursue this vision for the future.
Challenges and Outlook
The jury highlighted the many challenges facing the commercial vehicle industry. The transition to software-defined vehicles requires completely new development approaches. At the same time, the adoption of sustainable propulsion systems is a particular challenge for heavy-duty vehicles.
In summary, this year’s awards highlight the significant progress made in the field of electric and hydrogen vehicles, while encouraging the industry to continue on this promising path.