DAF XD and XF Electric named International Truck of the Year 2026
DAF’s New Generation XD and XF Electric trucks have been awarded ‘International Truck of the Year 2026’.
Harald Seidel, president of DAF Trucks, received the award in the truck industry last night during an award ceremony at the Solutrans exhibition in Lyon, France.
It is the third win for DAF in only five years’ time, after the New Generation XF/XG/XG+ and XD became ‘International Truck of the Year’ for 2022 and 2023 respectively.
In line with the rules of the International Truck of the Year (IToY) organisation, the title is awarded annually to the vehicle introduced in the previous 12 months that has made the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency.
The assessment covers a range of criteria, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, drivability, energy efficiency, environmental performance and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
The jury of 23 commercial vehicle journalists from across Europe praised DAF’s XD and XF Electric truck series for their exceptional energy efficiency, refined yet powerful driveline, and advanced technical architecture.
Furthermore, the award-winning vehicles were recognised for their long driving ranges, advantageous LFP battery technology, and superior driver comfort.
During extensive test drives, jury members praised the XD and XF Electric for the perfection of their drivelines and the almost imperceptible gear changes. The modular vehicle concept, offering a wide choice of battery and axle configurations provide operators an exceptional flexibility”, commented Florian Engel, chairman of the International Truck of the Year jury.
“With the new XD and XF Electric, DAF Trucks demonstrates that the combination of a central electric motor and a traditional rear axle can be at least as energy-efficient as a driveline with an e-axle. Moreover, this DAF configuration provides perfect weight distribution, enabling virtually all use cases to be covered by a single technical platform.”
The XD and XF Electric trucks are powered by PACCAR’s advanced EX-D1 and EX-D2 e-motors, delivering outputs from 170 kW (230 hp) to 350 kW (480 hp). With modular battery packs ranging from 210 to 525 kWh, the 4×2 and 6×2 tractor and rigid vehicles offer claimed zero-emission ranges of over 500km on a single charge, and even over 1,000km per day thought optimal charging planning.
DAF’s XD and XF Electric trucks are designed for both city and regional distribution and long distance applications.