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. Read on to find out more.
History, indeed, does repeat itself. The 1920s, especially in Germany, were characterized by an astonishingly large range of electric trucks on offer – with names that have long since faded, such as BEF, Bergmann, Bleichert, Hercules, Siemens-Schuckert or Scheele. Even then, food and beverage retailers were among the major buyers of these electric commercial vehicles. Oil discoveries, rapidly increasing oil processing as well as greater ranges of the combustion engine forced the electric truck into a deep slumber for the coming decades, only to awaken when the time was ripe.
Zero-Emission Problem Solver
Today, a century later, ZF starts the volume production of its electric driveline for light electric commercial vehicles, including those of the Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturer Isuzu. The story begins in 2019. At that time, the ZF Japan Technology Center presented a prototype truck with the new CeTrax lite electric central drive, developed specifically for the Japanese market. An electric motor with a peak output of 150 kilowatts powered the demo truck with a total weight of five tons and a payload of two tons.
These light trucks are widely used for deliveries in Japanese cities: They are perfect for restocking 24/7 grocery stores in residential areas in the early morning and late evening. Then there is also the stop-and-go driving to refill beverage vending machines and for parcel deliveries. Thanks to CeTrax lite, this will all be whisper-quiet and locally emission-free in the future. "Whenever ZF sets out to build a demo vehicle, there is always a certain leap of faith. That's why we're all the more delighted when such a delicate plant grows into a mass-produced item for the global market," says Dr. Andreas Grossl, adding: "CeTrax lite is the next important milestone in our electrification strategy." Grossl is responsible for the electric drives for commercial vehicles product segment within the Group.
From Friedrichshafen to the World
In March 2023, the volume production ramp-up of CeTrax lite – which has since been further developed – began in Friedrichshafen's Plant 2. The assembly line hase been set up in Hall 9, colleagues have been practicing and optimizing all processes here since the beginning of the year. The annual number of CeTrax lite drives to be made here in two shifts is in the lower five-digit range. This year, the drive systems will be produced exclusively for the Japanese market, but from 2024 onwards, the customer base will expand to include the European and US markets.
Installing the stator and rotor in the electric motor's housing.
A lot has happened behind the scenes since the demo truck hit the road in Yokohama, Japan, four years ago. Let's start with the driveline technology. We again have a reliable passenger car electric motor with a peak output of 150 kW as the technical basis for the volume production, but its continuous output has been increased from around 70 kW to 85 kW. This was made possible thanks above all to an improved oil cooling system. The engineers also changed the gear set of the reduction gear unit. All design changes were aimed at increasing the reliability and service life of the driveline.
Data acquisition via scanner as the last work step after assembly in end-of-line testing.
CeTrax lite: a European Product
With the CeTrax lite components, the customer benefits from the various competencies within the ZF Group as well as from the all-from-a-single-source approach. The electric drive system components come from the German ZF locations in Friedrichshafen and Schweinfurt, from the Serbian city of Pančevo, as well as from Klášterec in the Czech Republic. All of the parts – perfectly harmonized with each other – end up in a compact die-cast housing, with some final tweaks made in Friedrichshafen.
Further Applications in Sight
Apart from newly developed light trucks, there are other cases where the electric drive system would be an equally perfect fit. Currently, technical discussions are ongoing with Indian customers, for example, for its use in buses. It's also possible to imagine CeTrax lite as an aircraft tractor drive for smaller machines. Tests with a prototype vehicle will soon be initiated in this regard.
Since CeTrax lite can be integrated very well into existing platforms for conventional drivelines due to its compact design, the electric drive is also interesting for the retrofitting business: The existing combustion engine would then be replaced by an electric motor. "These examples show that we are very interested in not only tailoring CeTrax lite to a specific customer's needs, but also in using the system across different industries beyond its classic application in light trucks. This creates synergies and stimulates our business," says Alexander Maier, overall project manager for CeTrax lite.
