Electric Mobility

Why do we need electric mobility? What vehicles and products does ZF electrify? What technology does ZF use for electric mobility?

Definition: What is Electric Mobility?

Electric mobility essentially relates to road vehicles powered by an electric motor and charged mainly with energy from the electricity grid. Electric vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEV), vehicles with a combination of electric motor and small internal combustion engine, known as range-extended electric vehicles (REEV) and hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) that can be charged from the electricity grid. However, the term electric mobility also refers to an integral system. Its components include electric vehicles, the power supply and the charging and traffic infrastructure. In combination, all these components make mobility sustainable. For electric mobility to reduce the carbon footprint, the electricity used must come from renewable sources.

ZF Electrifies Everything

A Comprehensive Notion of Electric Mobility. ZF Is Actively Involved Here

ZF is a global technology company. It supplies components and systems for the electric mobility of passenger cars and commercial vehicles, for applications in industrial technology and for micromobility. ZF is even involved in professional motorsports through Formula E. With its drive solutions, ZF makes a major contribution to ensuring mobility while reducing traffic-related emissions.

Electric Mobility in Passenger Cars

Innovative Drives for All-Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrids

The Group now has a large electric product portfolio, including state-of-the-art electric motors and power electronics for use in all-electric passenger cars. In addition, ZF's new 8-speed automatic transmission ensures maximum energy efficiency in plug-in hybrid vehicles.

ZF eDrive Platform SELECT

The e-drive is the heart of a battery-powered vehicle. Thanks to SELECT, it beats ultra-efficiently.

Range Extender: More Than Just Extra Range

ZF has significantly advanced the technical concept of the range extender. As a result, the range extender primarily caters to the needs of Chinese electric car manufacturers, but it also has the potential to boost the electric mobility markets in Europe and North America.

A New Take on Thermal Management

ZF has built a reputation for delivering efficient propulsion systems in electrified mobility. Its advanced thermal management system, TherMaS, is another key to unlocking greater range from each battery charge.

Automatic Transmission: Fourth-Generation Efficiency

Since 2022, ZF has been producing a new 8-speed automatic transmission for passenger cars with mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid drives as well as for pure combustion engines. Never before has top electric performance been packaged so compactly.

Transporting People and Goods With Zero Local Emissions

ZF is continually working on making the transport of goods and people cleaner and more efficient. Find out how the technology works and what contribution ZF's electric drive systems in trucks and buses make to climate-neutral mobility.

Electrification Solution for Trailers

With the “TrailTrax” drive solution, ZF electrifies all heavy trucks, making freight transport cleaner and more efficient. TrailTrax turns any diesel truck into a hybrid vehicle.

Decentralization for a Central Drive

Difficult circumstances have marked the preparations for the start of volume production of CeTrax lite, the electric drive system for light commercial vehicles. The key to success: the European-Japanese ZF team.

Powerhouse for E-Trucks: CeTrax 2

CeTrax 2 is ZF's integrated and modular electric central drive for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. It is designed to seamlessly package within the space of the transmission of an ICE vehicle.

Read more in ProductFinder

Off-Road Electric Mobility

Electric Propulsion on Construction Sites, at Sea and Elsewhere

On inner-city construction sites in particular, electrification helps reduce noise and enhance climate protection. Clean air is also a very compelling argument for electrified ship propulsion systems, especially in ports. Wind turbines with high-tech gearboxes from ZF generate zero-emission electricity.

Learn more about ZF's electrification technology for construction site

E-Ferries: Reducing the Ecological Footprint

The prevalence of shorter routes makes ferries the ideal electrification candidates. About the advantages of maritime e-drives and what ZF contributes.

Clean and Quiet Construction Site

Now electrification is also reaching construction sites. An electric compact wheel loader with ZF eTRAC is the first of its kind. ZF offers a complete system of high-performance e-drives for a wide range of vehicle sizes.

Electric Technology at Its Best

Top Products for Today's Electric Mobility

Regardless of whether passenger cars, trucks or buses, ZF offers its customers reliable and efficient solutions for all types of road vehicles. Here is just a small selection.

Zero-emission driving with CeTrax

CeTrax - electric drive instead of combustion engine
The CeTrax electric central drive can be integrated simply into vehicle designs with a conventional driveline layout and is suitable for buses and mid-range delivery trucks. Electric motor with integrated, tried-and-tested planetary stage from ZF-EcoLife.

AxTrax AVE – electric portal axle for city buses

The electric portal axle AxTrax AVE with integrated wheel hub drive is the solution for electric buses, hybrid buses and trolleybuses. It enables to solo buses as well as articulated buses full-electric and zero-emission driving.

AxTrax 2 LF - Next-generation low-floor electric portal axle

AxTrax 2 LF is ZF's latest addition to its in-house developed suite of e-drives specifically designed for city and intercity buses up to 30 tons.

Electric Axle Drive 100 kW

Fully-integrated electric drive
Compact electric drive for compact cars and all-wheel drive vehicles. Electric PSM machine with 100 kW output.

Electric Axle Drive 150 kW

An environmentally friendly drive concept
Designing a common central housing with a cover on the transmission and electric motor side and using the motor shaft as a transmission input shaft results in a series of functional advantages. The reduction in bearings and interfaces of the ZF electric axle drives results in better performance regarding energy consumption and noise characteristics.

Inverter 400 V

Greater efficiency for electric drivelines
Flexible 400-volt inverter. A standardized system design speeds up the process of designing and developing different versions Controlling all conventional electric motors – both electrical asynchronous motors (ASM) and permanent magnet synchronous motors (PSM).

Inverter 800 V

Silicon carbide semiconductors increase driving range
Power electronics for electric drives based on silicon carbide semiconductors. Provides higher efficiency compared to systems with semiconductors made of pure silicon. May lead to an increase in range of five to eight percent on the road with unchanged battery size.

8-Speed Plug-In Hybrid Transmission (Gen4)

Significant CO₂ reduction with simultaneous increase in electrical performance
More power and higher efficiency characterize the 4^th generation of 8HP transmission. Thanks to its modular design with different launch elements, the new 8-speed automatic transmission can be used in the electrified variants PHEV and MHEV as well as a conventional variant in the future. The 4^th generation of the 8HP modular system is more than just a "single" transmission, and therefore the flexible solution for the future requirements of our customers for electromobility.

Efficient on the road with CeTrax 2

CeTrax 2 – Electric drive for heavy-duty trucks and buses Due to its compactness, customers can install the CeTrax 2 electric central drive in the transmission installation space of vehicles with an internal combustion engine as well as in electric commercial vehicles. This one-box solution offers high power and torque values (max. 24,700 Nm) while improving efficiency.

Electric Central Drive eTRAC for compact off-road machinery

Maximum performance, zero emissions
E-mobility solutions for compact work machinery such as loaders, site dumpers or telehandlers are the first to enter the construction equipment market, especially in urban or emission-regulated areas. The eTRAC central drive system with its range of 48/96/650-volt e-motors developed by ZF provides the necessary emission-free drive.

Learn more in our ProductFinder

E-Mobility @ ZF

Current information can be found on LinkedIn on our showcase page

Shaping the Future with Technology

Technological innovations provide answers to the challenges of today and tomorrow. ZF has those answers: As a global technology company, ZF is not only a driving force behind the mobility and transport transformation, but also enables innovative industrial applications beyond the road. By leveraging current technology trends, ZF develops forward-looking solutions tailored to global market demands.

More about ZF's innovations and technologies