Founded in 1953, Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH is the world’s oldest independent design organisation. Its 2024 competition saw nearly 11,000 entries submitted from 72 countries.
Warin Thanathawee, Chief Design Officer of Zapp EV, said: “The iF, Red Dot and German Design Award are recognised as three of the world’s most prestigious product design awards. Receiving the iF DESIGN AWARD 2024 means i300 has now won them all, which is a significant achievement. We have made history today and this reconfirms that Zapp’s i300 is a truly innovative and groundbreaking product. I am honoured that our approach of combining striking forms and practical functionality with a unique design DNA has now been recognised as prize-worthy by these world-renowned design institutions. It brings us immense joy knowing we can make a product as distinguished as this that people will use every day.”
The i300’s new form factor, enabled by the patented Z-shaped exoskeleton, combines the performance of a step-over motorcycle with the accessibility of a step-through scooter. This low-component whole-vehicle architecture simplifies the assembly process and improves vehicle manoeuvrability and agility as a result of reduced weight and lower centre of gravity while also allowing for modular under-seat storage. It also houses two lightweight batteries that can be carried indoors and charged from any standard wall socket, thus eliminating range anxiety and the need for dedicated charging infrastructure. Zapp is currently moving i300 into production and first customer deliveries are expected in summer 2024.
