Leyland Trucks celebrate top award - DAF XD and XF Electric elected ‘International Truck of the Year 2026’
Staff at Leyland Trucks are celebrating winning the industry’s top award - again.
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 most prestigious award in the truck industry during an award ceremony at the Solutrans exhibition in Lyon, France. It is the third win for DAF in only five years, after the New Generation XF/XG/XG+ and XD became ‘International Truck of the Year’ for 2022 and 2023.
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 leading 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 recognized 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.”
Pride
“Winning the International Truck of the Year 2026 with our XD and XF Electric models is a moment of pride for all DAF employees”, said DAF president Harald Seidel. “This recognition underlines our commitment to drive the future of zero-emission transport through innovation, quality, and sustainability.
“We are thrilled that the jury of leading commercial vehicle journalists acknowledges the vehicles’ efficiency, safety, and exceptional driver comfort. Receiving the most prestigious award in the truck industry is another recognition of the hard work of the entire DAF organization to deliver first class products and services to our customers.”