Hyundai Rotem announced on the 10th that its hydrogen-electric power car and hydrogen-electric train each won top honors at Germany’s iF Design Awards 2026, earning the company two awards.
The iF Design Award is regarded as one of the world’s top three design prizes, alongside the IDEA Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award.
This year, judges selected winners from more than 10,000 entries submitted from 68 countries.
After winning a main prize for its hydrogen-electric tram in 2023, Hyundai Rotem added wins this year for its hydrogen-electric power car and hydrogen-electric train, reinforcing its leadership in hydrogen mobility design.
A hydrogen-electric power car tows unpowered passenger cars, while a hydrogen-electric train integrates propulsion on each car, carrying its own power source onboard.
The winning designs are guided by a "pure, simple, iconic" design philosophy, with styling tailored to each vehicle type.
The company introduced a side graphic shaped like an "H" to symbolize Hyundai Rotem and hydrogen.
The hydrogen-electric power car features a rugged, performance-focused exterior. Designers contrasted a smooth line flowing from the roof to the front with dynamic lower-body sculpting, and added linear headlights inspired by the afterglow of light in tunnels to convey motion.
The hydrogen-electric train employs a low-floor layout to improve accessibility and presents a soft, approachable profile.
At the front, designers reduced the industrial feel by covering the wiper pivots and collision energy management (CEM) components, and they added slim, stacked daytime running lights for a futuristic detail.
Hyundai Rotem said, "This award recognizes our commitment and design philosophy in realizing hydrogen mobility in the rail sector. We will lead global design trends in this area, continue strengthening our design competitiveness across the rail industry, and deliver new value to customers."
