Tatra Trucks company won the prestigious Red Dot award for the design of the latest generation of Tatra Force model line

22 April, 2024

A few days ago, Tatra Trucks company achieved another great success. For the first time in its history, it won the Red Dot award in the Product Design category, even twice. Tatra Force vehicles of the latest third generation were decorated with this award, which is one of the most prestigious internationally in the field of design, while a version with a four-door cab was presented, as well as a version of the development line known as e-Drive with an electric traction motor and hydrogen fuel cells.

The Red Dot Award, also referred to as the "Oscar for designers", which originated in Germany, evaluates product and communication design and has been awarded annually since 1955. The ceremonies are held in Essen, where the Red Dot Museum is also located. The award is given based on the evaluation of several dozen independent experts.

"The jury evaluated the Tatra Force trucks with a four-door cab and Tatra Force e-Drive with a two-door cab based on digital presentations and also a personal inspection of the trucks directly in Essen, where we brought them to show them. The jury appreciated the comprehensive concept of the vehicles in terms of design, i.e. not only the exterior solution, but also the interior. Tatra succeeded in this design competition for the first time, the award of two products is therefore even more valuable for us, and in addition, it refers to the thoughtful design of both the four-door and two-door version, as well as the timelessness and quality of the interior," said Radomír Smolka, member of the Tatra Trucks board of directors responsible for development projects and research.

The manufacturer presented the third generation Tatra Force model line for the first time at the Pyros trade fair in the middle of last year. Firefighter versions were the first to be presented, followed in the fall by the Tatra Force e-Drive FCEV with an electric traction motor and hydrogen fuel cells. Other versions for different segments, for example the army, will soon follow, the new generation of the Tatra Force series will soon become one of the pillars of the company's production. The third generation Tatra Force vehicles were created in the construction department of the company in a team led by Radomír Smolka in cooperation with industrial designer Lukáš Taneček. He already won the Red Dot award in the past and also participated in the design of the Tatra Tactic model line of the second generation. It is therefore not surprising that in Tatra, when preparing the new vehicles of the Force series, they bet on him.

"The design of the cabin of a utility truck must be functional and purposeful, which means that there are certain limitations for the designer right from the start. So, we had to solve some conflicting requirements with our colleagues from Tatra and from the development company AV R&D. For example, the use of any moldings was excluded and plastic parts on the exterior of the cabin were to be eliminated as much as possible, on the contrary, a construction made only of standardized profiles was required. At the same time, the shape of the cabins of the new generation of the Tatra Force series was supposed to express the new design language of the Tatra Trucks company, which Radomír Smolka had a clear idea about. His vision was concrete, readable and suited me. Even so, it was a big challenge," explained Lukáš Taneček.

However, the close and intensive cooperation between Lukáš Taneček and the construction department of Tatra Trucks under lead of Radomír Smolka has borne fruit in the form of modern and cleverly designed trucks with a wide variety of low-lying cab designs for different segments of use. In addition, the new cabs allow several types of engines to be installed under their front or rear parts, including alternative drive systems. This was not possible with the previous generation of the Tatra Force series.

"The functionality and expediency of the technical solution of the new cabins are thus combined with a modern design, which won the prestigious Red Dot award. It is proof that even Tatra trucks, whose main mission is to serve on the roads and in the terrain in the most difficult conditions in any weather, and not to be an ornament at showrooms, can be proud of the modern and award-winning design of the cabins, which at the same time meet high demands for safety and protection crews and requirements for the installation of modern electronic and assistance systems," added Radomír Smolka.