The award in the category transportation and public space places it at among the top nine products from 1,500 top-class nominations covering all kinds of vehicles, urban/street fittings, and navigation systems. It is the third prestigious design award for the train, which has also won the German iF Product Design Award and the 2011 Good Design Award, from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

Zefiro trains can significantly reduce travelling times between major cities and boost interregional economic growth. The trains' high-class aerodynamic performance is a key element in reducing excessive noise. This provides environmental advantages related to noise pollution controls and offers increased comfort for riders. Train cars and connection points are designed to reduce pressure differences when traveling in and out of tunnels at high speeds.

The German Design Award is the German Design Council's international premium prize. It is bestowed upon high-grade products, product and communication design projects, design celebrities and upcoming talents, all of whom are trailblazing in their own special way on the German and international design scene.