VDA Design Award 2008 – Transport Efficiency 2020

cover image: Spidertainer Concept by Ying Tao, winner of the 2006 edition

The task set by the competition is “to produce concepts and to design visionary solutions for commercial vehicles in all segments of future freight transport by road.”

Audi Snook Concept by Tilmann Schlootz
– Winner of the 2007 Edition

The particular aim is to achieve maximum transport efficiency, i.e. to consider freight transport holistically, taking the whole transport chain into account.

The competition is open to all countries and is intended for students of design, whatever their speciality, and for students of arts, i.e. industrial and product design, visual communication, interior design, architecture, arts and media courses.

The registration and submission deadline is 1 July 2008.

The designs submitted must satisfy the following parameters:

• The considerable rise in freight transport by road to be expected in the future.
• Environmental protection and environmental friendliness of product, taking both rising energy costs and alternative drive trains into account.
  This will cover driving operation, as well as other factors − e.g. operation of ancillary power units when stationary, and loading and unloading.
• Improvement to efficiency of loading and unloading, and safety of goods − both packaged goods, bulk freight and liquids.

Commercial vehicles are defined as ” vehicles and their superstructures from light transporters to heavy goods vehicles and their trailers.”

The entry may be a design especially produced for this competition, or a new and existing design derived from a semester assignment.

Degree-examination theses may be entered in the competition, providing they were written at an institute of higher education in 2008.

Honda Ignition by Christian Ebert	VW Pandora by Stephan Jubt Rasmussen

The jury will be under the aegis of Matthias Wissmann, President of the VDA. Designers and members of the management board from the companies involved will also be on the jury.

The main criteria of evaluation are the quality of concept and vision, degree of innovation, quality of design and presentation, technical execution of design.

Prizes

The prizes to be awarded in this competition will be a total of 7 practical placements in companies of the automotive industry participating.

The period of these placements and the salary paid will be subject to the usual conditions of the companies involved.

The will also include the award of the following sums:

• First Prize: 2,000 €
• Second Prize: 1,000 €
• Third Prize: 500 €

The jury additionally reserves the right to select further works for an honorary award as finalists, to be shown in an exhibition at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2008.

The prize-giving ceremony will take place during IAA Commercial Vehicles 2008 in Hanover (25 September to 1 October 2008) as part of an event on September 26, 2008. During IAA Commercial Vehicles 2008 selected entries will be on view in an exhibition at the fair.

For additional information visit www.vda-design-award.de.

(Source: VDA Design Award)