E-Mobility and the "Petrol Head": a Perfect Match
"I see myself as a kind of bus driver," says Denis Belacek. "Because I make sure everyone is on board and gets where they need to go on time." He has been Technical Project Manager in ZF's Slovakian Research and Development team in Trnava since 2022 and is currently responsible for e-mobility projects.
Denis Belacek's passion for engines and anything that drives goes way back. Even as a child, he was crazy about cars. As a young teenager, he bought his first dirt bike, and later he raced motocross. "I fell in love with the sound of engines, of speed," he says looking back. Today, that love infuses his work. He is responsible for ensuring that all team members involved in a project work together to create a perfect product.
Denis Belacek has discovered his passion for e-mobility.
The necessary change
His work focuses on electromobility projects - currently the sixth e-motor generation of a premium OEM. ZF has been researching and working on this technology for many years, so that the company now offers almost all components required for electric vehicle drives, either individually or as a system - from the electric motor to the software.
Denis Belacek's career path did not start with e-mobility. After studying mechanical engineering with a focus on combustion engines, mobile working machines and a brief excursion into finance, he came across a job ad from ZF. The company was looking for a Technical Project Manager for its Trnava base. A perfect match, as it turned out. Describing himself as a "petrolhead," the engine fan nevertheless quickly realized that the world was undergoing a necessary shift toward e-mobility. "E-mobility is the future. ZF is making that future a reality for everyone," he explains. And although his connection to combustion engines will probably always remain, he has also discovered e-motors for himself.
The R&D team in Trnava, Slovakia, is actively working on new mobility.
Progress is uncomfortable
Denis Belacek sees himself as a FutureStarter because he is taking technology to the next level together with his colleagues. "Our predecessors have prepared a fantastic basis for us, on which we can now drive e-mobility in such a way that it will change everything. That's why all my colleagues are FutureStarters from my perspective." The electric concept vehicle "EVbeat," in which ZF combines newly developed components to create a highly efficient and compact overall system, shows what the new model generations could look like. These include the 74-kilogram lightweight and ultra-compact driveline with a torque density of 70 Nm/kg, a holistic thermal management system, and cloud-networked driveline software. Despite its extremely compact design and light weight, it is not stingy in terms of performance in the EVbeat: The concept vehicle has a maximum torque of 5,200 Newton meter.
In general, Denis Belacek believes anyone who wants to make a difference must be a FutureStarter. This includes being open to innovation. "It's easy to accept only what you know. But progress has never been comfortable." This basic idea, he says, can be found in every area at ZF: from Autonomous Driving to Vehicle Motion Control to Software & Digitalization.
To achieve this goal, everyone at ZF needs a comprehensive skillset, and Denis Belacek is no exception. His job is often challenging, requiring quick adaptability and considerable problem-solving skills. He is happy to take on the task. ZF enables him to make an active contribution to the mobility revolution, to gain insights into different departments as well as areas of responsibility, and to have contact with international teams. Here, too, the project manager draws a comparison to a bus driver: "It's not always easy to steer the bus, but when everyone gets to their destination in the end, it's a great feeling!"
