ZF honors seven of its global suppliers for their excellent performance. The ZF Supplier Awards are presented as part of the Group-wide Global Supplier Summit, which this year focuses primarily on sustainability. At the virtual conference, around 1,000 participants from all over the world gain an insight into the technology group's corporate strategy, new technologies and the resulting new requirements and challenges relating to purchasing and logistics.

ZF recently introduced the new AxTrax 2 LF electric portal axle for low-floor city buses. The new axle represents ZF’s latest e-Mobility evolution, offering improved performance to further support the commercial vehicle industry’s transformation towards a more sustainable future. The series production of AxTrax 2 LF is set to commence in 2025.

ZF has developed an electric motor which does not require magnets. In contrast to the magnet-free concepts of so-called separately excited synchronous motors (SESM) already available today, ZF’s I2SM (In-Rotor Inductive-Excited Synchronous Motor) transmits the energy for the magnetic field via an inductive exciter inside the rotor shaft. This makes the motor uniquely compact with maximum power and torque density.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF Group), one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, and Hon Hai Technology Group (“Foxconn”), the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, recently announced a 50-50 partnership in passenger car chassis systems, a key move aimed at accelerating and expanding automotive and supply chain opportunities with top-tier customers.

ZF recently unveiled its self-developed thermal management system for electric vehicles at its annual Global Technology Day demonstration event. The new system not only offers a more compact design of the drive but can also increase the range of vehicles in winter by up to one third. In combination with an optimized electric drivetrain consisting of power electronics, motor and reduction gearbox based on 800-volt silicon carbide, the system sets new standards in compactness and weight. The newly developed powertrain software also makes a significant contribution to higher efficiency.

Electrification is changing the automotive industry wholesale. This online article looks at training and transmission technology courses available in the e-mobility sector today. Coursework includes examining gearbox structure to battery technology to health and safety issues. This expansion continues to prepare engineers, manufacturers, and technicians for the shift toward electric vehicles. 

ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) division has further underlined its commitment to advancing ‘Next Generation Mobility’ by investing in cutting-edge 5G digital connectivity. Equipping its commercial vehicle test track at Jeversen, Germany, with its own powerful campus network enables enhanced testing of ‘Big Data’ backed solutions which are increasingly facilitating the next levels of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Transportation as a Service (TaaS). 

ZF unveils its next generation shuttle for autonomous driving in urban environments and mixed traffic at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The next generation complements the established model, which is primarily designed for use in segregated lanes. 

At its meeting on December 20, the Annual General Meeting of ZF Friedrichshafen AG elected Rachel Empey, Dr. Feiyu Xu and Dr. Rolf Breidenbach as shareholder representatives on the company’s Supervisory Board. Their five-year term of office begins at the end of the Annual General Meeting in 2023.

ZF presents the latest generation of electric drives for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. It sets standards through outstanding power density and energy efficiency. ZF achieves this thanks to numerous innovations at both the component and system level. These include the compact design of the drives, the "discrete approach" in power electronics, and a resource-saving use of materials, which also makes the production of the drives more sustainable. With their modular concept, the new ZF e-drives support automotive manufacturers in customizing the further electrification of their entire model range. For end customers, the new technologies offer higher efficiency, more power, and shorter charging times.